New Jersey's a fossil hotspot, explaining how dinosaurs died : NPR
Key Points:
- Paleontologist Ken Lacovara, known for discovering the Dreadnoughtus dinosaur, has been researching a significant fossil site in southern New Jersey, now the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum, which recently opened to the public.
- The site contains a sediment layer that records the immediate aftermath of the asteroid impact 66 million years ago, marking the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs.
- Over 100,000 fossils representing more than 100 species have been uncovered, along with iridium, an element linked to asteroids, providing a unique window into this pivotal moment in Earth's history.
- The museum offers visitors hands-on fossil digging experiences and aims to raise awareness about climate change by drawing parallels between past mass extinctions and current environmental challenges.
- Lacovara emphasizes that understanding the dinosaurs' extinction through geology and paleontology highlights the urgent need for climate action, encouraging visitors to "discover the past, protect the future."