New Jersey: Hadrosaurus foulkii (state dinosaur)
New Jersey: Hadrosaurus foulkii (state dinosaur)
New Jersey does not have a state fossil, but it does have a state dinosaur, Hadrosaurus foulkii. Its remains were first unearthed on a farm near Haddonfield in 1838, and with the display of its reconstructed skeleton at the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences 30 years later, the science of North American paleontology was born. Casts of the skeleton were soon exported to Europe, and museums around the world began to display their own dinosaur skeletons, delighting the public and giving them their first glimpse into the Age of Dinosaurs.
Hadrosaurus lived during the Cretaceous Period, about 80 million years ago. This duckbilled dinosaur was usually quadrupedal, but could rear up on two legs while running or stretching to feed on tough, high vegetation. It was about 25 feet long, 10 feet high at the shoulder, and weighed as much as 8 tons. Although it was a land-dweller, its bones are found in marine sediments, indicating that the bones were washed out to sea before becoming fossilized.
Despite the success of the Haddonfield Hadrosaurus, the site of its discovery was neglected for many years and faded into obscurity. It was ressurected in 1984 through the efforts of a local Eagle Scout, Christopher Brees, who cleaned up the locality and placed a plaque on a boulder to commemorate it. Because of his efforts, interested persons can visit the site today, which is now a National Historic Landmark.
Because of its obvious historical importance, Hadrosaurus foulkii was designated the New Jersey state dinosaur on June 13, 1991.
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