Dinosaurs in Your Backyard: Hadrosaurus foulkii and Other Local Marvels

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

6:00 PM-7:30 PM

Haddy has returned! The new mount of Hadrosaurus foulkii, the first dinosaur skeleton ever publicly displayed in the world, is back on view in the Academy of Natural Science’s Dinosaur Hall.

And this dinosaur is significant for our region in more ways than one!

Hadrosaurus foulkii was excavated in 1858 in Haddonfield, New Jersey, by Academy scientists Joseph Leidy and William Parker Foulke after large bones were found in a farmer’s marl pit (a pit that was a source for agricultural fertilizer). At the time, the fossil was considered nearly complete, with only the skull missing. Studying the pelvis and the four-foot thigh bone, Leidy made a groundbreaking observation: Hadrosaurus walked on two legs and would have stretched about 25 feet in length.

With this revolutionary insight, the British artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins created a full cast of the skeleton under Leidy’s direction. And in 1868, the Academy became the first institution in the world where the public could see a mounted dinosaur on display. Lines circled the block!

While Hadrosaurus foulkii was the first dinosaur in the group to be discovered, many more species of hadrosaurids are known today. They get their nickname as the “duck-billed” dinosaurs from their wide and flat snouts. The plant-eater was later declared New Jersey’s official state dinosaur, and the site where it was discovered is a national historic landmark. Although hadrosaurids originated in North America, their movements across land bridges resulted in their eventual presence on all seven continents.

To kick off the conversation, Bill Gallagher will give a short presentation on Hadrosaurus, the history of its discovery, the Academy scientists involved and why Hadrosaurus was historically significant in the early development of dinosaur paleontology. During the discussion to follow, Grace Goetcheus will help us bring to life by discussing our current understanding of Cretaceous dinosaurs, their lifestyle and behaviors, and the world they lived in.

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