Haddonfield in Camden County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Hadrosaurus foulkii Sculpture
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 26, 2014
1. The Hasrosaurus foulkii Sculpture Marker
in Haddonfield, New Jersey, 1858
Historic Fossil
The 1858 find was the most complete dinosaur skeleton unearthed anywhere in the world up until that time. It was the first that included enough bones to reconstruct key points of the actual anatomy of a dinosaur. It profoundly changed our understanding of natural history.
Scientific Impact
In 1868, 26 years after dinosaurs had been recognized as a group of ancient animals, the world saw the first mounted dinosaur skeleton – Hadrosaurus Foulkii – in Philadelphia at the Academy of Natural Sciences. The scientific excitement generated by that exhibit directly triggered the “Bone Wars”.
The Discovery
William Parker Foulke was visiting the Haddonfield home of John E. Hopkins in 1858 when he first heard that giant bones had been found in Hopkins’ marl pit 20 years earlier. A member of the Philadelphia Academy, Foulke assembled a crew of diggers who excavated 40 bones, 9 teeth and a small quantity of miscellaneous fragments from the pit. These fossils are stored at the Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia.
He also brought in Academy curator Dr. Joseph Leidy who identified the bones and sketched the first anatomical drawing of a real
this page online
The Hadrosaurus foulkii became the official state dinosaur of New Jersey in 1991.
The Animal
Hadrosaurs foulkii lived nearly 80 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous era. A vegetarian, it was a member of the duck-billed family of dinosaurs that lived in herds and are believed to have cared for their young long after they hatched from eggs.
New Jersey Marl
The fossil was found in the marl beds that run through the southern half of the state. Marl is a dense, mineral-rich, clay-like substance that was once the bottom of an ancient sea.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Paleontology. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 39° 53.822′ N, 75° 2.07′ W. Marker is in Haddonfield, New Jersey, in Camden County. Marker is at the intersection of Kings Highway (New Jersey Route 41) and Chestnut Street, on the right when traveling south on Kings Highway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Haddonfield NJ 08033, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hadrosaurus foulkii (a few steps from this marker); New Jersey Building (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Jonas Cattell (about 600 feet away); In Memory of Elizabeth Haddon (about 800 feet away); Reeves-Glover House
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 26, 2014
2. Marker in Haddonfield
More about this marker. The marker contains a picture of the skeleton of a Hadrosaurus foulkii indicating fossils found at the Haddonfield site. Below this is an illustration comparing the size of the dinosaur (8 feet high and 19 feet long) with a human (6 feet). Next to this is a map indicating the location of the marker and the Excavation Bone Site where the skeleton was found in a stream ravine 10 feet below the surface.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. See where the Hadrosaurus foulkii was unearthed at the Haddonfield Dinosaur Commemorative Site.
Also see . . . Hadrosaurus Foulkii. Website devoted to finding the world’s first dinosaur skeleton. (Submitted on April 26, 2014, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Additional keywords. The Hadrosaurus foulkii Sculpture
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 26, 2014
3. The Hasrosaurus foulkii Sculpture Marker
The marker can be seen above the tail of the dinosaur sculpture.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 26, 2014
4. The Hasrosaurus foulkii Sculpture
Credits. This page was last revised on February 27, 2018. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2014, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 583 times since then and 15 times this year. Last updated on February 26, 2018, by David Hunter of Haddonfield, New Jersey. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 26, 2014, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
