Paleontologist Revels in 66-million-year-old Fossils Uncovered in New Jersey
A paleontologist who works at the Edelman Fossil Park and Museum of Rowan University in Mantua Township is relishing in the discovery of 66-million-year-old fossils unearthed in New Jersey. “Down…
Children learning about, Excavating dinosaur fossils simulation in the park.
A paleontologist who works at the Edelman Fossil Park and Museum of Rowan University in Mantua Township is relishing in the discovery of 66-million-year-old fossils unearthed in New Jersey.
“Down at the bottom here, we would be standing on an ancient ocean floor that is 66 million years old, and on average, every footstep takes us back in time 300,000 years,” Lacovara said in an interview with News 12 New Jersey.
According to Lacovara, over the last 17 years, researchers have excavated approximately 250 square meters of the area and have unearthed more than 100,000 fossils representing over 100 species.
The actively excavated fossil bed on the museum site is a former marl quarry. It has yielded more than 100,000 fossils representing over 100 species of marine and land animals, including the remains of bus-sized mosasaurs, marine crocodiles, sea turtles, bony fish, shark teeth, brachiopods, marine snails, and more, according to the museum's website.
Lacovara's team is responsible for analyzing the fossils, the material collected around them, and the geochemistry of the site to gain a better understanding of the time period in which dinosaurs inhabited the Earth.
The museum's website notes that Lacovara is renowned for unearthing fossils of some of the largest dinosaurs ever to have roamed the Earth, including a massive 65-ton Dreadnoughtus. He has received The Explorers Club Medal, the highest honor bestowed to individuals in exploration. He joins the company of pioneers such as Sir Edmund Hillary, Jane Goodall, and Neil Armstrong, all of whom have received the award.
His TED talk has been viewed by more than 5 million people, and his book, "Why Dinosaurs Matter," has won the Nautilus Book Prize. Lacovara is the founding former dean of the School of Earth & Environment at Rowan University and is the founding executive director of the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum.
The Edelman Fossil Park and Museum of Rowan University is at 66 Million Mosasaur Way in Mantua.
