# 1874 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 1874.

## Dinosaurs

* Richard Owen publishes a monograph on Wealden and Purbeck reptiles, classifying Scelidosaurus, Iguanodon and Echinodon in the new dinosaur clade Prionodontia.

### New taxa

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Agathaumas milo | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Maastrichtian | Laramie Formation | Colorado | Described as a synonym of Hadrosaurus occidentalis |
| Cionodon | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Maastrichtian | Laramie Formation | Colorado | A hadrosaurid. Misspelled as Cinodon in original publication due to proofreader |
| Craterosaurus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Seeley | Aptian | Potton Sands | England | A dubious stegosaur |
| Hadrosaurus mirabilis | Comb. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Campanian | Judith River Formation | Montana | A new combination for Trachodon mirabilis |
| Hadrosaurus occidentalis | Comb. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Maastrichtian | Lance Formation | Wyoming | A new combination for Thespesius occidentalis |
| Ischyrosaurus manseli | Gen. nov. | Preoccupied | Hulke | Kimmeridgian | Kimmeridge Clay Formation | England | Preoccupied by Edward Drinker Cope, 1869. Later named Ornithopsis manseli |
| Morinosaurus | Gen. et sp. nov | Nomen dubium | Sauvage | Kimmeridgian | Boulogne-sur-Mer | France | A dubious sauropod |
| Polyonax | Gen. et sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Cope | Maastrichtian | Laramie Formation | Colorado | A ceratopsid |

## Ichthyosaurs
### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Ophthalmosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Middle Jurassic (Callovian) | Oxford Clay Formation | UK | An ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur. |

## Plesiosaurs
### New taxa

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Colymbosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) | Kimmeridge Clay | UK | A cryptoclidid, new genus for "Plesiosaurus" megadeirus Seeley, 1869 |
| Eretmosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Early Jurassic (Hettangian-Sinemurian) | Blue Lias | UK | A member of Microcleididae; new genus for "Plesiosaurus" rugosus Owen, 1840. |
| Mauisaurus | Nomen dubium | Hector | Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-Maastrichtian) | Conway Formation | New Zealand | An elasmosaurid. |
| Muraenosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Middle Jurassic (Callovian) | Oxford Clay | UK | A cryptoclidid. |
| Rhomaleosaurus | Valid | Seeley | Early Jurassic (Toarcian) | Whitby Mudstone Formation | UK | A rhomaleosaurid; new genus for "Plesiosaurus" cramptoni Carte and Bailey, 1863 |

## Pterosaurs
### Newly named pterosaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Coloborhynchus | Valid | Owen | Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) | Wadhurst Clay Formation | UK | A member of Ornithocheiridae. | |
| Criorhynchus | Jr. synonym | Owen | | | | Jr. synonym of Ornithocheirus. | |

## Squamates
### Newly named mosasaurs

| Name | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Taniwhasaurus | Valid | Hector | Late Campanian | Conway Formation | New Zealand  Japan  Antarctica | A tylosaurine mosasaurid. | Taniwhasaurus oweni |