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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 1868.
Arthropoda
Newly named crustaceans
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Schlüter  | 
 Moved to the genus Protastacus in 1983.  | 
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| 
 Enoploclytia paucispina[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Valid  | 
 Schlüter  | 
 An erymid.  | 
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| 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 Valid  | 
 Schlüter  | 
 A decapod, type species is E. nanodactylus.  | 
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| 
 Hoploparia macrodactyla[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Valid  | 
 Schlüter  | 
 A lobster  | 
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| 
 Necrocarcinus senonensis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Valid  | 
 Schlüter  | 
|||||
| 
 Palaeocorystes laevis[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Schlüter  | 
 Late Cretaceous (Upper Santonian)  | 
 Moved to Bournelyreidus in 2012.  | 
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| 
 Squilla cretacea[2]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Valid  | 
 Schlüter  | 
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Newly named insects
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Aphaenogaster berendti[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
![]() Stenamma berendti  | |||||
| 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 A myrmicine ant.  | 
 | |||||
| 
 Camponotus constrictus[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil formicine ant.,  | 
![]() Cataglyphoides constrictus  | |
| 
 Camponotus mengei[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil formicine ant.  | 
![]() Camponotus mengei  | |
| 
 Enneamerus[3]  | 
 Gen et 2 sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 A myrmecine ant. 2 species  | 
![]() Enneamerus reticulatus  | |
| 
 Formica flori[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil formicine ant  | 
![]() Formica flori  | |
| 
 Hypoclinea balticus[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus balticus in 1893  | 
 | |
| 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil Dolichoderine ant, jr synonym of Yantaromyrmex constricta  | 
 | ||
| 
 Hypoclinea cornuta[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus cornutus in 1893  | 
 | |
| 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil Dolichoderine ant,  | 
 | ||
| 
 Hypoclinea goepperti[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil Dolichoderine ant,  | 
 | |
| 
 Hypoclinea longipennis[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus longipennis in 1893  | 
 | |
| 
 Hypoclinea sculpturata[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus sculpturata in 1893  | 
 | |
| 
 Hypoclinea tertiaria[3]  | 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil Dolichoderine ant, moved to Dolichoderus tertiaria in 1893  | 
 | |
| 
 sp nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil Agroecomyrmecine ant, moved to Agroecomyrmex duisburgi in 1910  | 
 | ||
| 
 Pheidologeton antiquus[3]  | 
 sp nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic amber  | 
 Fossil myrmicine ant,  | 
![]() Carebara antiqua  | |
| 
 Sp nov  | 
 jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 Baltic Amber  | 
 A ponerine ant, moved to Pachycondyla succinea in 1995  | 
 | ||
| 
 Sp nov  | 
 Jr synonym  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 European amber  | 
 Fossil formicine ant, jr synonym of Nylanderia pygmaea  | 
 | ||
| 
 Stigmomyrmex[3]  | 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 valid  | 
 Mayr  | 
 Middle Eocene  | 
 European amber  | 
 A myrmicin ant.  | 
![]() Stigmomyrmex venustus  | |
Archosauromorphs
Newly named dinosaurs
| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Gen et sp nov  | 
 (  | 
 Possible subjective synonym of Albertosaurus or Deinodon.  | 
![]() Aublysodon may be a synonym of Albertosaurus.  | |||||
| 
 Gen nov  | 
 Leidy  | 
 
  | 
 Possible subjective synonym of Dryptosaurus.  | 
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Plesiosaurs
New taxa
  | 
 | |||||||||||||
Synapsids
Non-mammalian
| Name | Status | Authors | Discovery year | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
 Valid  | 
 Huxley  | 
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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.
 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 von der Marck, W.; Schlüter, C. (1868). Neue fische und krebse aus der kreide von Westphalen (PDF). Stuttgart: Palaeontographica. pp. 269–305. OCLC 39999779.
 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Wheeler, W. M. (1915). "The ants of the Baltic amber". Schriften der Physikalisch-Okonomischen Gesellschaft zu Konigsberg. 55 (4): 56–59.
 - ↑ LaPolla, J.S.; Dlussky, G.M. (2010). "Review of fossil Prenolepis genus-group species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 112 (2): 258–273.
 



















