# 1890 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 1890.

## Plants
### Angiosperms

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Carpolithes dentatus | Sp nov | jr synonym | Penhallow (in Dawson) | Eocene Ypresian | Okanagan Highlands "Stump lake", Coldwater Beds | Canada British Columbia | A small betulaceous fruit; moved to Palaeocarpinus dentatus in 2003 | |
| Comptonia columbiana | Sp nov | valid | Dawson | Eocene Ypresian | Okanagan Highlands Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A Sweet fern | Comptonia columbiana |

### Pteridophyta

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Azollophyllum primaevum | Sp nov | jr synonym | Penhallow | Ypresian | Allenby Formation | Canada | moved to Azolla primaeva in 1955 | Azolla primaeva |

## Arthropods
### Insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Cymatomera maculata | Sp nov | Jr synonym | Scudder | Late Eocene | Florissant Formation | United States Colorado | A palaeorehniid ensiferan. Synonymized with Palaeorehnia maculata in 1908 | Palaeorehnia maculata |
| Florissantia | gen et sp nov | Valid | Scudder | Late Eocene | Florissant Formation | United States Colorado | A dictyopharine planthopper. Type species F. elegans | Florissantia elegans |
| Telmatrechus | Gen et sp et comb nov | Valid | Scudder | Early Eocene Ypresian | Eocene Okanagan Highlands Allenby Formation | Canada British Columbia | A gerrine water strider genus. Type species is Hygrotrechus stali (1879) Includes the new species T. parallelus. Synonymized into Gerris (1910) Resurrected as a valid genus in 1998. | Telmatrechus parallelus |

## Archosauromorphs
### Pseudosuchians

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Suchodus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Lydekker | Middle Jurassic (Callovian) | Oxford Clay Formation | UK | A metriorhynchid thalattosuchian, type species S. durobrivensis | Suchodus brachyrhynchus |

### Dinosaurs

| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Barosaurus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Marsh | Kimmeridgian-Tithonian | Morrison Formation | South Dakota | A diplodocid |
| Ceratops paucidens | Comb. nov. | Nomen dubium | Marsh | Maastrichtian | Laramie Formation | Wyoming | A new combination for Hadrosaurus paucidens |
| Claosaurus | Gen. nov. | Valid | Marsh | Santonian | Niobrara Formation | Kansas | A new genus for Hadrosaurus agilis |
| Ornithomimus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Marsh | Maastrichtian | Laramie Formation | Colorado | An ornithomimid |
| Trachodon longiceps | Sp. nov. | Nomen dubium | Marsh | Maastrichtian | Laramie Formation | Wyoming | A species of Trachodon |
| Triceratops prorsus | Sp. nov. | Jr. synonym | Marsh | Maastrichtian | Laramie Formation | Wyoming | A species of Triceratops |
| Triceratops serratus | Sp. nov. | Jr. synonym | Marsh | Maastrichtian | Laramie Formation | Wyoming | A species of Triceratops |
| Triceratops sulcatus | Sp. nov. | Jr. synonym | Marsh | Maastrichtian | Laramie Formation | Wyoming | A species of Triceratops |

## Sauropterygia
### Nothosauroidea

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Type locality | Location | Notes | Images |
| Anarosaurus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Dames | Middle Triassic | Lower Muschelkalk | Germany | A pachypleurosaur. Type species B. pumilio | Anarosaurus heterodontus |