1817 in paleontology
| List of years in paleontology |
|---|
| (table) |
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 1817.
Pterosaurs
[edit]- Soemmering reported the discovery of a second pterosaur specimen. This second specimen was smaller than the first, with a 25 cm wingspan, and possessed a shorter snout. These traits mislead Soemmering into greater confidence in his interpretation of pterosaurs as bats. This specimen reminded him of the parti-colored bat. He named this fossil Ornithocephalus brevirostris.[2][3]
New taxa
[edit]| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ornithocephalus brevirostris[2] | Sp. nov. | Questionable | von Sömmerring | Tithonian | Solnhofen limestone |  Germany
|
Juvenile possibly referrable to Ctenochasma | 
|
References
[edit]- ^ 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.
- ^ a b von Sömmerring, S.T. (1817). "Ueber einen Ornithocephalus brevirostris der Vorwelt". Denkschriften der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften (in German). 6: 89–104.
- ^ Wellnhofer, Peter (2008). "A short history of pterosaur research". Zitteliana B. 28: 7–19.