1872 in paleontology
{{Short description|Significant paleontological discoveries and events published in 1872}}
{{Year nav topic5|1872|paleontology|science}}
{{Year in paleontology header|1872}}
Molluscs
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| Taxon
! Novelty ! Status ! Author(s) ! Age ! Unit ! Location ! Notes ! Images |
|---|
| Scenella{{cite journal|last1=Billings|first1=E.|title=On some fossils from the primordial rocks of Newfoundland|journal=The Canadian Naturalist|date=1872|volume=6|issue=4|pages=465–479|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3338261;view=1up;seq=485|series=2nd series}}
| Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Billings | Cambrian | {{flag|Canada}} | The type species is S. reticulata. | |
Dinosaurs
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| Taxon
! Novelty ! Status ! Author(s) ! Age ! Unit ! Location ! Notes ! Images |
|---|
| Agathaumas
| Gen. et sp. nov. | Cope | {{Flag|Wyoming}} | Dubious ceratopsid | |
| Colonosaurus
| Gen. et sp. nov. | Marsh | {{flag|Kansas}} | Misidentified as a marine reptile, before association with body of Ichthyornis recognized | |
| Eucamerotus
| Gen. nov. | Hulke | {{flag|England}} | Later given the type species E. foxi | |
| Hadrosaurus agilis{{cite journal|last=Marsh|first=O.C.|year=1872|title=Notice of a new species of Hadrosaurus|journal=American Journal of Science and Arts|volume=3|pages=301}}
| Sp. nov. | Valid | Marsh | {{flag|Kansas}} | Later given the genus name Claosaurus | |
| Tylosteus
| Gen. et sp. nov. | Leidy | {{flag|Montana}} | Suppressed synonym of Pachycephalosaurus | |
