Hadrosaurus Foulkii Leidy Site
Encyclopedia
Hadrosaurus Foulkii Leidy Site in Haddonfield, New Jersey
is where the first relatively complete set of dinosaur
bones were discovered in 1838, and then fully excavated by William Parker Foulke
in 1858. The dinosaur was later named Hadrosaurus foulkii
by Joseph Leidy
. The site lingered in obscurity until 1984 when a local Boy Scout
from Troop 65, Christopher Brees, as part of an Eagle Scout
project researched the site and generated publicity, eventually leading to the species being designated the official dinosaur of New Jersey.
According to a plaque placed at the site by the Academy of Natural Sciences
, the site was part of the John Hopkins farm in 1858. Current information from the Academy states that Foulke unearthed 35 of an estimated 80 bones from the Hadrosaurus, which is believed to be herbivorous, 7 meters in length, and weight 2.5 tons. It lived during the Cretaceous Period, 73 million years ago.
Haddonfield, New Jersey
Haddonfield is a borough located in Camden County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough had a total population of 11,593....
is where the first relatively complete set of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
bones were discovered in 1838, and then fully excavated by William Parker Foulke
William Parker Foulke
William Parker Foulke discovered the first full dinosaur skeleton in North America in Haddonfield, New Jersey in 1858....
in 1858. The dinosaur was later named Hadrosaurus foulkii
Hadrosaurus
Hadrosaurus is a valid genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur. In 1858, a skeleton of a dinosaur from this genus was the first dinosaur skeleton known from more than isolated teeth to be found in North America. In 1868, it became the first ever mounted dinosaur skeleton...
by Joseph Leidy
Joseph Leidy
Joseph Leidy was an American paleontologist.Leidy was professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, and later was a professor of natural history at Swarthmore College. His book Extinct Fauna of Dakota and Nebraska contained many species not previously described and many previously...
. The site lingered in obscurity until 1984 when a local Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
from Troop 65, Christopher Brees, as part of an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
project researched the site and generated publicity, eventually leading to the species being designated the official dinosaur of New Jersey.
According to a plaque placed at the site by the Academy of Natural Sciences
Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the New World...
, the site was part of the John Hopkins farm in 1858. Current information from the Academy states that Foulke unearthed 35 of an estimated 80 bones from the Hadrosaurus, which is believed to be herbivorous, 7 meters in length, and weight 2.5 tons. It lived during the Cretaceous Period, 73 million years ago.