When Dinosaurs Roamed New Jersey

by William B. Gallagher

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 10-15,000 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 were found. He shows how fossil evidence found in the state is helping paleontologists uncover the ecological interactions and behavior of dinosaurs, and discusses such ongoing 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.

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Antonios Tsompanidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a middle school student who has finished reading When Dinosaurs Roamed New Jersey by William Gallagher. This informational nonfiction book clearly provides a concise history of geology as well as paleontology in New Jersey. Readers travel 543 million years ago to the time when the Cambrian seas covered New Jersey to the Ice Age, which only occurred 10,000-15,000 years ago.

Gallagher tells stories about the many fossils, professional and amateur fossil hunters, and the impact the history that occurred in New Jersey affected paleontology and its ideas. Throughout the book, he is very specific when pointing out where fossils have been found in New Jersey, which is quite fascinating to find out; New Jersey really doesn’t come to mind when talking about fossils, I’m sure others think this way as well.

Gallagher also makes the book enjoyable for all ages, for he explains vocabulary and different fossil findings thoroughly and accurately. It is important to get the right facts when reading an informational nonfiction book, and Gallagher clearly shows his skill in this subject through the way he writes.

This new information is useful and helpful to me, for I always wanted to know the history of New Jersey, before the indians, and this book portrayed a lot of new ideas that I took into account, and I now have a good understanding of what New Jersey was like during pre-history (time period before any humans walked the earth). It is fascinating to learn what the area surrounding you was once like, and there may be ways to show appreciation for that in your local community. There are many parks in New Jersey, so it may be a good idea to check them out.

When Dinosaurs Roamed New Jersey is definitely a good book to read if you’re hunting down a new nonfiction book currently. Factual and comprehensible for all ages, it is a great book to add to your nonfiction bookshelf.

[Hamilton Scudder · Rating 5 out of 5]

While some of the colloquial scientific phraseology and descriptors are out of date and small bits of information for which we now have the answers might, in a perfect world, be amended, as a pop science book for someone living in New Jersey and who is interested in paleontological history, this book is a must-read. This was the first piece of comparatively serious science literature I ever read, when I was somewhere from 10-12, and rereading it today was such a blast. Wonderfully personable, with a heavy narrative quality, but still written professionally for credibility and reliability.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have given it four stars, but whoever chose the typeface made it really difficult to read. Maybe I read an old edition, but round sans-serif faces aren’t great for dense scientific texts. That said, I’m excited to check out some of the places Gallagher mentions as being particularly fossil-rich.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gallagher's limited geographic scope allows for a more detailed treatment than most popular texts provide. The prose is clear and the topic is fascinating. Highly recommended.