1827 in paleontology
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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 1827.
Reptiles
- Gideon Mantell discovered some fossil bones in the Wealden beds (Wessex Formation) of Sussex, England that he believed were the remains of ancient birds.[2]
- Mantell recognized that his "bird" bones were actually pterosaur fossils and reported his findings to the scientific literature. These were the first Cretaceous pterosaur fossils ever described.[2]
Dinosaurs
New taxa
| Taxon | Novelty | Status | Author(s) | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Megalosaurus bucklandii[3] | Sp. nov. | Valid | Mantell | Bathonian | Taynton Limestone Formation | England | A species for Megalosaurus Buckland, 1824 |
References
- ^ 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 Wellnhofer, Peter (2008). "A short history of pterosaur research". Zitteliana B. 28: 7–19.
- ^ Mantell, G. (1827). Illustrations of the geology of Sussex: a general view of the geological relations of the southeastern part of England, with figures and descriptions of the fossils of Tilgate Forest. London: Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. p. 92.