Cretaceous Park New Jersey? Our state is not the first one to come to mind when talking about dinosaurs. There is New Jersey’s official state dinosaur - Hadrosaurus foulkii - the first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton ever found in North America. It was discovered in 1858 in a marl pit in Haddonfield, NJ by William Parker Foulke, and it helped revolutionize scientific understanding of dinosaur posture because it suggested that some dinosaurs could walk upright. It lived about 70–100 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.
We also have the first recognized Tyrannosaur, known as Dryptosaurus. Its name means “Tearing lizard” or “Slashing reptile.” It is also from the Late Cretaceous, around 67–66 million years ago. It grew up to 25 feet (7.5 meters) long and was carnivorous. It belongs to the Eutyrannosaurian theropod group, which was an early relative of Tyrannosaurus rex.
Dryptosaurus
It was first described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1866 as Laelaps aquilunguis, later renamed Dryptosaurus by rival paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh due to naming conflicts. It was one of the first theropods ever discovered in North America. The discovery was made in a marl pit near Barnsboro, NJ, making it a local legend in paleontology.
Marl is a type of sedimentary material that's rich in calcium carbonate, clay, and silt. It forms in freshwater or marine environments, often through the accumulation of microscopic organisms like algae or the breakdown of shells and skeletons of marine life, and is common in post-glacial lake beds, coastal plains, and marine deposits.
In Mantua Township (behind a shopping center!), paleontologists have uncovered one of the most remarkable fossil sites in the country. The Edelman Fossil Park & Museum at Rowan University has taken that site and built it into a destination for dinosaur enthusiasts and families alike.
Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, a South Jersey native and world-renowned paleontologist, has traveled across the globe digging for dinosaurs, but his most astonishing finds came from the quarry near where he grew up. Over the last 18 years, more than 100,000 fossils from over 100 species have been unearthed at the Mantua site. The site officially opened to the public in March as the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, inviting visitors to dig for real fossils, tour exhibits, and learn how prehistoric history can shape the future.
A local news report on the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University before it opened in March 2025.
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