Fossils of New Jersey - Shark Teeth - Big Brook and Surrounding Brooks - Information, Tips, and Fossil Identification

A fossil Goblin shark tooth lying on a gravel bank along Big Brook.

A fossil Mosasaur tooth lying on a gravel bank along Big Brook, New Jersey.

Due to the everlasting popularity of dinosaurs, the Era of the dinosaurs, the Mesozoic, which encompasses the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods, are well known to the public. When people think of the Era of the Dinosaurs, they may think of Paleontologists digging in African Deserts and regions in China. When thinking of the Cretaceous in North America., many people may think of the Western North American Bad Lands where the famous 19th century "Bone Wars" occurred.

However, not many people know that America's East Coast has its share in Dinosaurs! Parts of New Jersey, Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, and Northern Maryland all contain fossil deposits from the age of dinosaurs. In fact, in 1838 North America’s very first nearly complete dinosaur was discovered in New Jersey. It was later studied in 1858.

Today Amateurs can still go to New Jersey and find Dinosaur aged fossils. Anyone with an interest in fossils can enjoy a trip down to New Jersey to dig some up. One of the better known areas is in Monmouth County. It exposes Cretaceous age fossils. Throughout this county, Big Brook and surrounding brooks cut through the ground, digging though the layers of earth, they go through recent layers, cut into the Pleistocene, and finally carve away at ancient fossil bearing Cretaceous deposits. During the Cretaceous, our continents were nearly in their present positions. However, the Earth was much warmer. This resulted in high sea levels. As a result, Europe was composed of numerous islands. Most of North Americas coastal plain was submerged. States such as Georgia and Florida were completely submerged. The high sea levels caused North America to be split in two. A great interior seaway flowed through much of the great plain states, from Texas to North Dakota, and through Northern Canada. This can be seen in the sketch to the right.

New Jersey was also submerged. Since it was just off the ancient coast of North America, Cretaceous marine fossils abound at the Big Brook area. Numerous species of sharks can be found, as well as invertebrates such as mollusks and Belemnites. Also, the great reptiles that ruled the seas in the Cretaceous can occasionally be found. These creatures include Mosasaurs, Pleisiosaurs, and large Crocodiles.

However, since this area of New Jersey was only miles from the coast, the remains of land animals occasionally washed out to sea. Although rare, fossils of land animals can be found. These fossil remains are often pieces of dinosaurs, such as Hadrosaur teeth, and bone fragments.

These fossils have been washed out of their sediments by the water action, and can simply be found in Big Brook and surrounding brooks by screening gravel bars, and walking the creek beds.