1909 in paleontology

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 1909.

Name	Novelty	Status	Authors	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Etoptychoptera[2]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Handlirsch	Ypresian	Allenby Formation	Canada  British Columbia	An etoptychopterine phantom cranefly. Type species E. tertiaria.
Raphidia exhumata[3]	Sp nov	jr synonym	Cockerell	Eocene Priabonian	Florissant Formation	USA  Colorado	A raphidiid snakefly Moved to Megaraphidia exhumata in 2014[4]
Protanyderus[2]	Gen et sp nov	Valid	Handlirsch	Jurassic		Mongolia	A tanyderine phantom cranefly.

Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.^[5]

Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes Images Picrocleidus Valid Andrews Callovian Oxford Clay Formation  UK A cryptoclidid. Simolestes Valid Andrews Callovian Oxford Clay Formation  France  India  UK A thalassophonean pliosaurid. Tricleidus Valid Andrews Callovian Oxford Clay Formation  Norway  UK A cryptoclidid.

Name	Status	Authors		Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Bauria	Valid	Robert Broom		Early Triassic	Cynognathus Assemblage Zone	South Africa	A bauriid theriodont.

• Death of Harry Govier Seeley, the paleontologist who invented the Saurischian/Ornithischian dinosaur dichotomy.^[7]