# 1878 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 1878.

## Arthropods
### Newly named arachnids

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Aranea columbiae | Sp nov | jr synonym | Scudder | ?Ypresian | Quesnel ?Fraser Formation | Canada British Columbia | An orb-web spider egg sack ichnogenus. moved to Araneaovoius columbiae (2011). | Araneaovoius columbiae (1890 illustration |

### Newly named insects

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Bothromicromus | Gen et Sp nov | valid | Scudder | ?Ypresian | Quesnel ?Fraser Formation | Canada British Columbia | A possibly megalomine hemerobiid lacewing. Type species B. lachlani | Bothromicromus lachlani (1890 illustration) |
| Euschistus antiquus | Sp nov | jr synonym | Scudder | ?Ypresian | Quesnel ?Fraser Formation | Canada British Columbia | A shield bug moved to Teleoschistus antiquus (1890). | Teleoschistus antiquus (1890 illustration) |
| Holcorpa | Gen et sp nov | valid | Scudder | Eocene Priabonian | Florissant Formation | USA Colorado | A holcorpid scorpionfly The type species is H. maculosa. | Holcorpa maculosa |
| Lachnus quesneli | Sp nov | jr synonym | Scudder | ?Ypresian | Quesnel ?Fraser Formation | Canada British Columbia | An aphidoid of uncertain placement Moved to Sbenaphis quesneli (1890). | Sbenaphis quesneli (1890 illustration) |
| Sciara deperdita | Sp nov | valid | Scudder | ?Ypresian | Quesnel ?Fraser Formation | Canada British Columbia | A sciarine dark-winged fungus gnat. | Sciara deperdita (1890 illustration) |

## Archosauromorphs

O. W. Lucas recovers more material which would be referred to Laelaps trihedrodon from Morrison Formation strata near Garden Park, Colorado.

### Newly named pseudosuchians

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Symphyrophus | | Nomen dubium | Cope | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | USA | Possible synonym of Amphicotylus. | |

### Newly named dinosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Amphicoelias fragillimus | Sp nov | Jr. synonym | Marsh | Late Jurassic (Tithonian) | Unknown | USA | Moved to Maraapunisaurus fragillimus (2018). | Maraapunisaurus fragillimus |
| Brachyrophus | Gen nov | jr synonym | Cope | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | USA | Junior synonym of Camptosaurus. | Camptosaurus dispar |
| Creosaurus | Gen nov | Junior synonym | Marsh | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | USA | Synonym of Allosaurus fragilis. | Allosaurus fragilis |
| Diplodocus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Marsh | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | USA | A diplodocine diplodocid. Type species D. longus | Diplodocus carnegii |
| Epanterias | Gen et sp nov | Nomen dubium | Cope | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | USA Colorado | An allosaurid theropod. Possibly a synonym of Allosaurus. Type species E. amplexus | |
| Hypsirhophus | Gen et sp nov | Nomen dubium | Cope | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | USA Colorado | possibly a synonym of Stegosaurus. Type species H. discurus |
| Laosaurus | Gen et sp nov | Nomen dubium | Marsh | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | USA Colorado | A dubious Neornithischian of uncertain placement. | Laosaurus |
| Morosaurus | Gen et sp nov | Jr. synonym | Marsh | Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) | Morrison Formation | USA Colorado | Junior synonym of Camarasaurus. Type species M. grandis | Camarasaurus lentus |

## Plesiosaurs
### Newly named plesiosaurs

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
| Eurysaurus | Gen et sp nov | Valid | Gaudry | Early Jurassic | Unknown | France | A possible pliosauroid Type species E. raincourti | |

## Synapsids
### Non-mammalian

| Name | Status | Notes | Images |
| Dimetrodon | Valid | USA Texas | Dimetrodon incisivum |
| Embolophorus | Valid | |
| Ophiacodon | Valid | |
| Sphenacodon | Valid | |
| Theropleura | Valid | |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Gini-Newman, Garfield; Graham, Elizabeth (2001). Echoes from the past: world history to the 16th century. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. ISBN 9780070887398. OCLC 46769716.
* 1 2 3 4 5 Scudder, S. H (1878). "Additions to the Insect-fauna of the Tertiary beds at Quesnel, British Columbia". Geological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress for. 1876–1877: 457–464.
* ↑ Dunlop, J.A.; Braddy, S.J. (2011). "Cteniza bavincourti and the nomenclature of arachnid-related trace fossils". The Journal of Arachnology. 39: 250–257.
* ↑ Makarkin, V.; Wedmann, S.; Weiterschan, T. (2016). "A new genus of Hemerobiidae (Neuroptera) from Baltic amber, with a critical review of the Cenozoic Megalomus-like taxa and remarks on the wing venation variability of the family". Zootaxa. 4179 (3): 345–370. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4179.3.2.
* 1 2 Scudder, S. H. (1890). "The Tertiary insects of North America". United States Geological Survey of the Territories, Washington: 615.
* ↑ Archibald, SB (2010). "Revision of the scorpionfly family Holcorpidae (Mecoptera), with description of a new species from Early Eocene McAbee, British Columbia, Canada" (PDF). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. 46 (1–2): 173–182. doi:10.1080/00379271.2010.10697654. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
* ↑ "Introduction," Chure (2001) page 11.
* ↑ Osborn, H.F., and Mook, C. C. (1921). "Camarasaurus, Amphicoelias and other sauropods of Cope." Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History NS, 3(3): 249–387.
* ↑ Carpenter, K. (2018). "Maraapunisaurus fragillimus, n.g. (formerly Amphicoelias fragillimus), a basal Rebbachisaurid from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Colorado". Geology of the Intermountain West. 5 (9): 227–244. ISSN 2380-7601.