When Dinosaurs Roamed New Jersey [Paperback]

William B. Gallagher (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813523494 | ISBN-13: 978-0813523491 | Publication Date: April 1, 1997 | Edition: 1

"Ever since the beginnings of paleontology in America, New Jersey has been 'the place' and William Gallagher--who terrorized his South Jersey mother by traipsing home with green mud, marl, and fossils--is the ideal guide to the wonderful dinosaurs and other fossils of the region. High school and college students, their teachers, interested general readers and professional paleontologists will all enjoy this book!"-Earle E. Spamer, The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia "Citizens of New Jersey have needed this book for a long time . . . . William Gallagher shows all New Jerseyans why they can be proud of their state's role in dinosaur paleontology and in science as a whole."-David Parris, curator of natural history, New Jersey State Museum "A very enjoyable read--and an ambitious work that not only deals with dinosaurs of the New Jersey region, but much more besides. The hard-core dinosaur crowd will certainly want it, no matter where they live."-Louis Jacobs, author of Lone Star Dinosaurs and Quest for the African Dinosaurs "An impressive historical account of the search for dinosaur fossils in New Jersey . . . a fascinating account of prehistoric New Jersey when dinosaurs and other extinct creatures roamed its environs. It has great historical and scientific value."-Richard K. Olsson, professor of geological sciences, Rutgers University Did you know that Benjamin Franklin examined the first dinosaur bone in America from Woodbury, Gloucester County, in 1787--decades before the word dinosaur was even coined? Or that when the first reasonably complete dinosaur skeleton in the world was unearthed in Haddonfield, Camden County, in 1858, it was a major scientific breakthrough which forced paleontologists to completely revise their picture of dinosaur anatomy? Few people know that New Jersey is the nursery of American vertebrate paleontology! When Dinosaurs Roamed New Jersey provides a succinct and readable history of the geology and paleontology of New Jersey from the time the region was covered by Cambrian seas 543 million years ago to the Pleistocene Ice Age only 10 to 15,000 years ago. William Gallagher tells the stories of professional and amateur fossil hunters, their discoveries, and their impact on the history of paleontological thought. He points out places in New Jersey and nearby where specimens characteristic of each era can be found. He shows how fossil evidence discovered in the state is helping paleontologists reconstruct the ecological interactions and behavior of dinosaurs, and discusses such continuing scientific controversies as the reason for the extinction of the dinosaurs. From tracking dinosaur footprints across the Newark basin, to digging for the last dinosaurs in the greensands of South Jersey, to finding a mushroom in ancient amber in East Brunswick, this book is the ideal introduction to the Garden State's fossils and prehistory. Dr. William B. Gallagher is the registrar of natural history at the New Jersey State Museum and a visiting lecturer in dinosaur paleontology at Rutgers University.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This small book is a very good introduction to the geological history of New Jersey. As such, it will be of limited interest to anyone outside the state or its immediate neighbors. On the other hand, it offers a good starting point for the amateur or beginning professional geologist or hiker who wants to understand the various rock formations that he or she will encounter during field explorations in the region. Of particular interest is a section telling where one can go fossil hunting within the state. The author is the registrar of natural history at the New Jersey State Museum and a visiting lecturer in dinosaur paleontology at Rutgers University. For area libraries.?Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 198 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press; 1 edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813523494
• ISBN-13: 978-0813523491
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #935,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well conceived and thoroughly enjoyable book., February 20, 1999

By 

L.J.Wesolowski ( [e-mail]) (Bensalem ,PA., USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Dinosaurs Roamed N J (Hardcover)

This book, by one of the most pre-eminent scholors in the field of paleontology, is not only accurate and thoroughly thought out, but is enjoyable to boot. It is a "must read" for anybody interested in paleontology; especially if they are from the Mid-Atlantic region.