# 1879 in paleontology

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1879.

## Plants
### Ferns

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Equisetum similkamense | Sp nov | valid | Dawson | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A scouring rush | Equisetum similkamense |

## Arthropods
### Insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Buprestis saxigena | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | Ypresian | Coldwater Beds | Canada British Columbia | A jewel beetle | Buprestis saxigena (1890 illustration) |
| Buprestis sepulta | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | Ypresian | Coldwater Beds | Canada British Columbia | A jewel beetle | Buprestis sepulta (1890 illustration) |
| Buprestis tertiaria | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | Ypresian | Coldwater Beds | Canada British Columbia | A jewel beetle | Buprestis tertiaria (1890 illustration) |
| Cercopis selwyni | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A froghopper | Cercopis selwyni (1890 illustration) |
| Cercyon? terrigena | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | Ypresian | Coldwater Beds | Canada British Columbia | A water scavenger beetle | Cercyon? terrigena (1890 illustration) |
| Coelidia columbiana | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A leafhopper | Coelidia columbiana (1890 illustration) |
| Hygrotrechus stali | Sp nov | jr synonym | Scudder | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A gerrine water strider moved to Telmatrechus stali (1890) moved to "Gerris" stali (1910) returned to Telmatrechus stali (1998) | Telmatrechus stali (1890 illustration) |
| Nebria paleomelas | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | Ypresian | Coldwater Beds | Canada British Columbia | A ground beetle | Nebria paleomelas (1890 illustration) |
| Penthetria similkameena | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Scudder | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A plecian marchfly moved to Plecia similkameena (1885) | Plecia similkameena |
| Planophlebia | Gen et sp nov | Jr synonym | Scudder | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A hemipteran of uncertain placement | Planophlebia gigantea (1890 illustration) |
| Tenebrio primigenius | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A darkling beetle | Tenebrio primigenius (1890 illustration) |
| Trox oustaleti | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A hide beetle | Trox oustaleti (1890 illustration) |

## Ichthyosauromorpha
### Ichthyosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Sauranodon | Gen nov | Junior homonym | Marsh | Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) | Sundance Formation | United States Wyoming | Preoccupied by Sauranodon Jourdan, 1862; renamed Baptanodon Marsh, 1880. | Baptanodon natans |

## Archosauromorphs
### Newly named non-avian dinosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Anoplosaurus | Valid | Harry Govier Seeley | middle Cretaceous (late Albian-early Cenomanian) | Cambridge Greensand | United Kingdom | A nodosaurid ankylosaur, a member of Struthiosaurinae. The type species is A. curtonotus. |
| Brontosaurus | Valid | Othniel Charles Marsh | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | US | An apatosaurine diplodocid. |
| Camptonotus | Preoccupied. | Othniel Charles Marsh | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | US | Preoccupied by Uhler, 1864. Later renamed Camptosaurus. |
| Coelurus | Valid | Othniel Charles Marsh | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | US | A basal coelurosaur. The type species is Coelurus fragilis. |
| Eucercosaurus | Nomen dubium | Harry Govier Seeley | middle Cretaceous (late Albian-early Cenomanian) | Cambridge Greensand | United Kingdom | An dubious ornithopod. |
| Labrosaurus | Valid | Othniel Charles Marsh | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | US | Junior subjective synonym of Allosaurus. The type species is Allosaurus lucaris Marsh, 1878. |
| Syngonosaurus | Nomen dubium | Harry Govier Seeley | middle Cretaceous (late Albian-early Cenomanian) | Cambridge Greensand | United Kingdom | A dubious ornithopod. The type species is S. macrocercus. |
| Vectisaurus | Nomen dubium | Hulke | early Cretaceous (Barremian) | Wessex Formation | United Kingdom | A dubious iguanodont. The type species is Vectisaurus valdensis. |

## Synapsids
### "Pelycosaurians"

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Macromerion | Gen et comb nov | Valid | Fritsch | Late Carboniferous | | Czech Republic | A new genus for "Labyrinthodon" schwartzenbergii 1875. | |