Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils.[1] 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 1886.

List of years in paleontology (table)
In science
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
+...

Flowering plants edit

Superasterids edit

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Unit Location Synonymized taxa Notes Images

Stewartia kowalewskii[2]

Sp nov

Jr synonym

(Casp.) Sadowski & Hofmann

Eocene
Priabonian

Baltic Amber

  Europe

A Symplocaceous flower species.
Moved to Symplocos kowalewskii in 2023).

 
Symplocos kowalewskii


Ichthyosaurs edit

New taxa edit

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes

Ichthyosaurus cornalianus

Valid

Bassani

Late Triassic (Carnian)

Besano Formation

  Italy

Type species of the mixosaurid genus Mixosaurus Baur, 1887.

Archosaurs edit

Newly named basal archosauromorphs edit

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes

Tribelesodon

Junior synonym

Bassani

Late Triassic

  Italy

Junior synonym of Tanystropheus, a member of Protorosauria.

New pseudosuchian taxa edit

Name Status Authors Age Type locality Country Notes Images

Pallimnarchus pollens[3]

Nomen dubium

De Vis

Pliocene

Darling Downs

  Australia

Pallimnarchus was informally named, but the name acquired widespread use. The syntype material consisted of multiple individuals of different crocodilian species and a later erected lectotype was lost. It was eventually declared a nomen dubium, with much of the material transferred into the genus Paludirex.[4]

 
The lectotype of Pallimnarchus, B shows the only parts still known.

Synapsids edit

Non-mammalian edit

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images

Haptodus

Valid

Gaudry

Early Permian

Millery Formation

Naosaurus

Invalid

Cope

Early Permian

Red beds

  USA

References edit

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Sadowski, E.-M.; Hofmann, C.-C. (2023). "The largest amber-preserved flower revisited". Scientific Reports. 13 (1). 17. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-24549-z. PMC 9837116. PMID 36635320.
  3. ^ De Vis, C.W. (1886). "On remains of an extinct saurian". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. 2: 181–191.
  4. ^ Ristevski, J.; Yates, A.M.; Price, G.J.; Molnar, R.E.; Weisbecker, V.; Salisbury, S.W. (2020). "Australia's prehistoric 'swamp king': revision of the Plio-Pleistocene crocodylian genus Pallimnarchus de Vis, 1886". PeerJ. 8: e10466. doi:10.7717/peerj.10466. PMC 7759136. PMID 33391869.