Edelman Fossil Park facts for kids
The Edelman Fossil Park is a special place in Mantua Township, New Jersey. It has a 66-million-year-old bone bed inside an old marl quarry. This park is the only one east of the Mississippi River where the public can actively dig for fossils.
The fossils here formed at the end of the Cretaceous Period. This was when a huge asteroid hit Earth, causing the extinction of dinosaurs and many other living things. The park is full of fossils from sea creatures. This shows that a shallow sea once covered this part of Southern New Jersey.
As of early 2022, the park is being updated to become the Edelman Fossil Park Museum. It will still offer programs for schools, scouts, and the public once the museum is finished. The park is currently closed and will reopen when the museum is ready in May 2023. Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, owns and runs the Edelman Fossil Park. This was made possible by a large donation from Jean and Ric Edelman.
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What is the Geology of the Park?
The ground under Gloucester County, where the park is, has many layers. These layers are made of sand, silt, and clay. They formed because sea levels changed a lot since the Cretaceous Period. This whole area of Southern New Jersey is called the coastal plain. It was under a shallow sea until about 3 million years ago. That's when the ocean moved back as the Greenland ice sheet grew.
The fossils at the park are found in a special layer called marl. Marl is a dark to light green clay. It forms when dead plants and animals decay in water that has a lot of calcium. This soft material is great for preserving fossils. You can find many invertebrates (animals without backbones) here. Also, fossils of larger land animals that were washed into the sea have been found.
Inside the marl, you might find a mineral called vivianite. This crystal is deep blue or bluish-green. When it touches air, it starts to change color and can become almost black. You can also find schist dropstones in these layers. These rocks show that ancient ice ages happened in this area.
Important Moments in the Park's History
The Edelman Fossil Park has a long and interesting past. Here are some key events:
- 66 million years ago: A giant asteroid crashed near what is now Mexico. This event killed all dinosaurs (except birds) and three-quarters of all life on Earth.
- 1858: The first complete dinosaur skeleton was found nearby in Haddonfield, NJ. It was a Hadrosaurus.
- 1866: Edward Drinker Cope discovered the tyrannosauroid called Dryptosaurus near the park site.
- 1920s: The Inversand Company started digging at the quarry. They dug for manganese greensand, used as fertilizer and for water treatment.
- 1930s: Workers at Inversand found fossils in the quarry. Researchers were invited to study them.
- 2012: Dr. Kenneth Lacovara from Drexel University started "Community Dig Days." This allowed almost 2,000 visitors to dig for fossils at the park. This was a great example of citizen science.
- 2014: Dr. Lacovara discovered the huge titanosaurian sauropod called Dreadnoughtus.
- 2015: Rowan University bought the Inversand quarry for $1.95 million.
- 2016: Jean and Ric Edelman promised $25 million to help the Fossil Park. They planned to build a museum and a science education center.
- 2021: Construction began on the $73 million Edelman Fossil Park Museum.
Amazing Fossils Found Here
Many different kinds of fossils have been found at the Edelman Fossil Park. Most of these species are now extinct. An asterisk (*) means the species is still alive today.
Sea Turtles and Aquatic Turtles
- Taphyrosphys sulcatus
- Catapleura repanda
- Euclastes wielandi
- Bothremys sp.
Cartilaginous Fish (Sharks and Rays)
- Odontaspis cuspidata (Sand Tiger Shark)
- Palaeocarcharodon orientalis (Pygmy White Shark)
- Squalicorax pristodontus (Crow Shark)
- Otodus obliquus (early Mackerel Shark)
- Cretolamna appendiculata (early Mackerel Shark)
- Squatina squatina (Angelshark)*
- Notidanodon (early Cow Shark)
- Edaphodon (Ratfish)*
- Ischyodus thurmanni (Chimaera)
- sp. (Stingray)
- Myliobatis leidyi (Eagle Ray)*
- Rhombodus levis (ray)
Bony Fish
- Acipenser albertensis (Sturgeon)
- Enchodus ferox (Saber Toothed Herring)
Crocodiles
- Thoracosaurus neocesariensis (Crocodylomorph)
- Borealosuchus threeensis (Boreal Crocodile)
- Hyposaurus rogersii (Hyposaurus Crocodylomorph)
- Bottosaurus (Alligatoroid)
Mosasaurs
- Mosasaurus sp. (a large marine reptile)
Invertebrates (Animals without Backbones)
- Sphenodiscus (Ammonite)
- Pachydiscus (Ammonite)
- Peridonella dichotoma (sponge)
- Cliona cretacea (sponge)
- Flabellum mortoni (coral)
- Oleneothyris harlani (brachiopod)
- Caryatis veta (brachiopod)
- Liopistha protexta (brachiopod)
- Gryphaeostrea vomer
- Nuculana stephensoni (clam)
- Cuculleae vulgaris (False Ark Shell)*
- Agerostrea nasuta (oyster)
- Pycnodonte dissimilaris (oyster)*
- Eutrephoceras dekayi (nautilus)
- Baculites (Walking Stick Rock)
- Gyrodes abyssinus (Gyrodes - snail)
- Pyropsis trochiformis (snail)
- Turbinopsis curta (snail)
- Turritella vertebroides (Turritella - sea snail)
What are the Future Plans for the Park?
The Edelman Fossil Park Museum
On October 9, 2021, work began on the new Edelman Fossil Park Museum. This $73 million project is set to open in May 2023. The museum will take visitors back to the time of Earth's fifth mass extinction. This was when non-bird dinosaurs and 75% of all other species died out.
Guests will feel like they are in coastal New Jersey during the Late Cretaceous period. They will see land and water creatures trying to survive. The museum will be 44,000 square feet. It will have interactive exhibits, hands-on learning areas, and a paleo-themed playground for families. The Hall of Extinction & Hope will teach visitors about the dinosaurs' end. It will also show what we can learn about today's climate and biodiversity issues.
For more hands-on learning, there will be a Fossil Research Workshop and a virtual reality room. Of course, the fossil dig experience will still be available. The museum will also have a cafe with sustainable food and a gift shop with items from local artists.
How the Museum Will Be Sustainable
The Edelman Fossil Park Museum will be New Jersey's largest public net-zero building. This means it will produce all the energy it needs. It will get 100% of its energy from green sources and renewable energy made on-site. The museum will use geothermal heating and cooling systems. It will also have a solar field.
Materials found on the site will be reused for building inside. No fossil fuels will be burned to run the museum. This means no greenhouse gases will be released into the air. The land around the museum will have native plants. Plant and animal habitats will be brought back as part of the design.
