1841 in paleontology - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Dinosaurs

On June 30, Sir Richard Owen presents his findings regarding some enormous bones that the Reverend William Buckland had acquired at an earlier date. He names the new genus to which these bones belong "Cetiosaurus
Cetiosaurus
Cetiosaurus meaning 'whale lizard', from the Greek cetus/κητος meaning 'sea monster' and saurus/σαυρος meaning 'lizard', was a sauropod dinosaur from the Mid to Late Jurassic Period in what are now Europe and Africa. It is estimated to have been about long and to have weighed roughly...

." This event marks the first scientific description of a sauropod.
Owen presents his treatise on British fossil reptiles to the British Association in August. This treatise marks the creation of a taxon called "Dinosauria."

Newly named dinosaurs

Name	Status	Authors	Notes
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Cardiodon Cardiodon Cardiodon was a genus of sauropod dinosaur, based on a tooth from the late Bathonian-age Middle Jurassic Forest Marble Formation of Wiltshire, England...	Nomen dubium Nomen dubium In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...	Sir Richard Owen,	Possible subjective synonym of Cetiosaurus Cetiosaurus Cetiosaurus meaning 'whale lizard', from the Greek cetus/κητος meaning 'sea monster' and saurus/σαυρος meaning 'lizard', was a sauropod dinosaur from the Mid to Late Jurassic Period in what are now Europe and Africa. It is estimated to have been about long and to have weighed roughly...
Cetiosaurus Cetiosaurus Cetiosaurus meaning 'whale lizard', from the Greek cetus/κητος meaning 'sea monster' and saurus/σαυρος meaning 'lizard', was a sauropod dinosaur from the Mid to Late Jurassic Period in what are now Europe and Africa. It is estimated to have been about long and to have weighed roughly...	Valid	Sir Richard Owen,
Cladeiodon	Misidentification	Sir Richard Owen,	Dubious Nomen dubium In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application... non-dinosaurian archosaur.
Rhopalodon Rhopalodon Rhopalodon is a genus of synapsid from the Permian of Russia. It has been variously classified as a dinosaur, a dinocephalian, or another branch of Reptilia. Rhopalodon is notable for being among the first reptiles mentioned in Nature. T.H. Huxley wrote of this reptile, among others, in the...	Misidentification	Fischer von Waldheim	Misidentified therapsid.
Suchosaurus Suchosaurus Suchosaurus is as a spinosaurid theropod dinosaur from Cretaceous England, originally believed to be a genus of crocodile. The type material consists of teeth. Two species, S. cultridens and S. girardi have been named, though the S. girardi material was reclassified by Buffetaut as Baryonyx...	Nomen dubium Nomen dubium In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...	Sir Richard Owen	Possible subjective synonym of Baryonyx Baryonyx Baryonyx is a genus of carnivorous saurischian dinosaur first discovered in clay pits just south of Dorking, England, and later reported from fossils found in northern Spain and Portugal. It is known to contain only one species, Baryonyx walkeri... .

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New taxa

Name	Status	Authors
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Pliosaurus Pliosaurus Pliosaurus is a genus of extinct marine reptile. It is included in the family Pliosauridae. Its diet would have included fish, squid and other marine reptiles. This genus has contained several species in the past but it currently consists of the type species P. brachydeirus, P. macromerus and P...	Valid	Owen
Polyptychodon Polyptychodon Polyptychodon is an extinct genus of sauropterygian reptile belonging to the family Pliosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous. Its fossils have been found in Europe and North America....	Valid	Owen
"Thaumatosaurus"	Valid	Meyer

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Non-mammalian

Name	Status	Authors	Discovery year	Age	Unit	Location	Notes	Images
Rhopalodon Rhopalodon Rhopalodon is a genus of synapsid from the Permian of Russia. It has been variously classified as a dinosaur, a dinocephalian, or another branch of Reptilia. Rhopalodon is notable for being among the first reptiles mentioned in Nature. T.H. Huxley wrote of this reptile, among others, in the...	Valid	Fischer

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