Hadrosaurus foulkii
Hadrosaurus foulkii
Pronunciation: HAD-row_SORE-us, FOLK-eye
Meaning of name: Foulke's bulky lizard
Length: 23 feet (7 meters)
Weight: Estimated 2.5 tons (3,200 kg)
Diet: Plants
Range: North America (New Jersey)
Age: Late Cretaceous, 73 million years ago
What's real?: The bones from this mount are cast from the original fossils, which are in the Academy's research collection for study.
What is it? Hadrosaurus is a hadrosaur (or duckbill) dinosaur.
A Tale of Bones
The story of Hadrosaurus foulkii is a story about paleontology. Follow along as we find, dig up, present and evaluate the bones of the first mounted dinosaur the world has ever seen.
How it All Started
What would you do if you were interested in natural history and someone told you about some huge old bones they'd found on their farm? Would you rush right off to dig them up? That's just what William Parker Foulke, a member of The Academy of Natural Sciences, did in 1858 when a farmer friend mentioned he'd unearthed some giant fossilized bones (vertebrae) on his land some 20 years before.
Digging for Treasure
Although some of the fossils had been given away 20 years earlier in 1838, Foulke dug down 9 feet in the same clay pit and found 35 fossilized bones. Then he did what you would probably do with such a find —he brought it to an expert.
Identifying the Find
Dr. Joseph Leidy, who worked at the Academy as a curator (a scientist who cares for and studies a collection of specimens), grew very excited when he recognized the bones as part of a dinosaur. In 1858, 35 bones from one extinct animal was a treasure trove— until then, only a few fossil teeth and bones had been found in Europe and North America. Leidy name the animal for its size and for the man who discovered it: "Foulke's bulky lizard."
Bones and Biology
Through studying the bones, Leidy discovered that the animal's front legs were much shorter and more slender than its hind legs. From this evidence, Leidy realized the dinosaur would be able to rear up on its hind legs. He thought it would stand more like a kangaroo than a four-legged, belly-dragging lizard —the animal that dinosaurs were compared to at the time.
Art and Science Work Together
In 1868, 26 years after dinosaurs had been recognized as a group of ancient animals, the world saw the first mounted dinosaur skeleton right here in Philadelphia. Working together to produce this marvel, Academy scientist Dr. Joseph Leidy brought his knowledge of animal anatomy and artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins contributed his creativity.
Academy Awards
Found in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and displayed in Philadelphia at The Academy of Natural Sciences, Hadrosaurus foulkii represents several landmarks in the budding science of paleontology:
- The first nearly complete dinosaur fossil found, 1858
- The first dinosaur depicted on two, not four, feet, 1858
- The first mounted dinosaur in the world, 1868
More information on Hadrosaurus can be found in the Joseph Leidy Online Exhibit.