The Jurassic in Pennsylvania, US

Paleontology and geology

During the Jurassic, rift basins were developing in eastern Pennsylvania as plate movement continued to pull apart the supercontinent of Pangea, creating the beginnings of the modern Atlantic Ocean. Reddish sand, silt, and clay accumulated in rivers and lakes in these rift basins. Molten rock rose up along fractures in the crust, and some of it flowed out onto the surface as lava. Fern spores and pine pollen are common in the red and gray mudstones of the Newark Rift Basin in the eastern part of the state. Dinosaurs roamed the landscape, leaving behind some footprints but few bones.

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Research and Collections | Resources

Ongoing Research Projects (showing 1 of 1 listings)

Carnegie Museum: Invertebrate Paleontology Section: The Carnegie Museum of Natural History Section of Invertebrate Paleontology has more than 100 years of research, field work, educational outreach (PALS), and exhibits on Phanerozoic life. Our collections number more than three-quarters of a million specimens with some 11,000 type and figured specimens published in more than 300 professional publications. Our type and collection strengths are concentrated in the Lower and Upper Paleozoic rocks of the Appalachians, mid-continent, and western Interior Seaway. 

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Field Guides (showing 1 of 1 listings)

Dinosaur Footprints and Trackways From the Northeastern U.S.: This webpage details footprints from the Triassic and Jurassic periods of the northeastern United States. Information includes photographs of footprints, along with information on stratigraphic horizon and correlation, age, and taxonomy.

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