Navesink Formation
Encyclopedia
The Navesink Formation is a 66 to 70 mya greensand glauconitic marl
and sand geological formation in New Jersey
. It is known for it its Cretaceous
era fossil shell beds and dinosaur bones.
, is typically found above the Mount Laurel Formation
and under the Red Bank Formation. There is a 5 mya gap between the Navesink and Mount Laurel Formations. The Navesink varies in depth from 45 feet (13.7 m) to 65 feet (19.8 m) across its range from Sandy Hook
to Pennsville.
The Navesink has the highest radon gas potential of the New Jersey geologic formations.
in Middletown, New Jersey which has several exposures along Poricy Brook.
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
and sand geological formation in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It is known for it its Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
era fossil shell beds and dinosaur bones.
Description
The Navesink formation, named after Navesink, New JerseyNavesink, New Jersey
Navesink is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 2,020.-Geography:Navesink is located at ....
, is typically found above the Mount Laurel Formation
Mount Laurel Formation
The Mount Laurel Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation. Dinosaur remains diagnostic to the genus level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.-See also:* List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations...
and under the Red Bank Formation. There is a 5 mya gap between the Navesink and Mount Laurel Formations. The Navesink varies in depth from 45 feet (13.7 m) to 65 feet (19.8 m) across its range from Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook, New Jersey
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit, approximately 6.0 miles in length and varying between 0.10 and 1 miles wide in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, along the Atlantic Ocean coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. The barrier spit encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay...
to Pennsville.
The Navesink has the highest radon gas potential of the New Jersey geologic formations.
Sites
There are several locations where the Navesink formation is visible including Poricy ParkPoricy Park
Poricy Park is a nature preserve and park in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. It is known for its Cretaceous era fossil shell beds along the Poricy Brook streambed, open to the public for limited collecting...
in Middletown, New Jersey which has several exposures along Poricy Brook.
Paleofauna
- DryptosaurusDryptosaurusDryptosaurus was a genus of primitive tyrannosaur that lived in Eastern North America during the middle Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period. Although largely unknown now outside of academic circles, a famous painting of the genus by Charles R...
? macropus (tyrannosauroid indet) - DiplotomodonDiplotomodonDiplotomodon is a dubious genus of dinosaur from New Jersey. It is only known from a single tooth found in either the Navesink or Hornerstown Formation, dating to the Maastrichtian age of the late Cretaceous period...
horrificus - "Tooth." (theropod indet) - Tomodon horrificus - "Tooth." - preoc.
- "Coelosaurus" antiquus
- HadrosaurusHadrosaurusHadrosaurus is a valid genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur. In 1858, a skeleton of a dinosaur from this genus was the first dinosaur skeleton known from more than isolated teeth to be found in North America. In 1868, it became the first ever mounted dinosaur skeleton...
cavatus - "Caudal vertebrae." - H. minor - "Partial hindlimb, vertebrae, [and] ribs."
- TelmatornisTelmatornisTelmatornis is a prehistoric bird genus of unclear affiliations. It apparently lived in the Late Cretaceous; its remains were found in the early Maastrichtian Navesink Formation of New Jersey. A single species is included today, Telmatornis priscus...
priscus (modern bird - CharadriiformesCharadriiformesCharadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic , some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick...
?)