title: 1837 in paleontology
text: # 1837 in paleontology
  
  Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. 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 1837.
  
  ## Archosauromorphs
  
  ### Newly named dinosaurs
  
  Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list.
  
  | Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes | Images |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Plateosaurus | Gen. et sp. nov. | Valid | Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer | Late Triassic | Feuerletten Formation, Fleming Fjord Formation, Knollenmergel, Marnes Irisees Superieures Formation, Obere Bunte Mergel Stubensandstein, Trossingen Formation | France, Norway, Germany, Greenland, Switzerland | German paleontologist Hermann von Meyer formally named and described Plateosaurus. This was the first described prosauropod, and is still the one we know most about. | |
  
  ## Synapsids
  
  ### Newly named mammals
  
  **Afrotherians**
  
  | Name | Status | Authors | Age | Location | Notes | Images |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Gomphotherium | Valid | Burmeister | Early Miocene to Early Pliocene | Ethiopia  Austria  Saudi Arabia  China  Czech Republic  Egypt  France  Germany  India  Kenya  Mexico  Namibia  North Korea  Pakistan  Poland  Portugal  Romania  Russia  Spain  Switzerland  Thailand  Tunisia  Turkey  Ukraine  USA ( California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota and Texas)  Nicaragua | A gomphothere. | Gomphotherium |
  