Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoriclife 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 1830.
One of the most primitive archosauromorphs. Previously considered to be related to Prolacerta within Prolacertiformes, but now a new genus shows that they were in fact not closely related.[3]
The remains of Streptospondylus were the first dinosaurian remains to be described (by Cuvier in 1808), however, their identification was thought to be teleosaurid or metriorhynchid.[5]
Now considered a junior synonym of Steneosaurus. Steneosaurus is known from many species that existed from the Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, which form a monophyletic group when S. pictaviensis and S. megarhinus are excluded.[6]
Many species have been referred to Metriorhynchus since 1830, yet recent studies show that only three species are valid and referrable to the genus, the typeM. geoffroyii, M. superciliosus, and M. hastifer.[7]
This genus is now considered a junior synonym of Lepidotes. Although previously known from species ranging between 205 and 100 mya, a 2012 study found only species from the Late Jurassic to be in the genus, and reassigned the rest.[8]
^Gini-Newman, Garfield; Graham, Elizabeth (2001). Echoes from the past: world history to the 16th century. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. ISBN9780070887398. OCLC46769716.
^Cuvier, G. (1808). "Sur les ossements fossiles de crocodiles et particulièrement sur ceux des environs du Havre et d'Honfleur, avec des remarques sur les squelettes de sauriens de la Thuringe". Annales du Muséum d'Histoire naturelle de Paris. 7: 73–110.
^Cau, A.; Fanti, F. (2010). "The oldest known metriorhynchid crocodylian from the Middle Jurassic of North-eastern Italy: Neptunidraco ammoniticus gen. et sp. nov". Gondwana Research. 19 (2): 550–565. Bibcode:2011GondR..19..550C. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2010.07.007.