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Granton Quarry


dalmanites14

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I know that this site is in North Bergen, NJ, but I dont know if it is still open. Please share any info you

know about this site. :zzzzscratchchin:

Thanks,

Dalmanites14

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It was once there---and a very good site at that. Now sadly there's a Lowe's on top of it.

What a wonderful menagerie! Who would believe that such as register lay buried in the strata? To open the leaves, to unroll the papyrus, has been an intensely interesting though difficult work, having all the excitement and marvelous development of a romance. And yet the volume is only partly read. Many a new page I fancy will yet be opened. -- Edward Hitchcock, 1858

Formerly known on the forum as Crimsonraptor

@Diplotomodon on Twitter

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There's actually quite a bit of it left just north of the Lowe's off Tonnelle Ave.(Route 9) and 80th St. It is full of coelacanths (Osteopleurus) and coprolites and apparently Tanytrachelos, if you know where to look (I don't). Sadly, it's also full of poison ivy.

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My one time experience at Granton left me wanting to go back. You can get access to some of the fossiliferous layers but it's tuff. As mentioned, it's covered with poison ivy. There are as well several significant high walls that are loose and dangerous. Not at all suitable for kids. Be careful.

We found many coprolites, fish scales and fish partials. One full specimen was found (fish) I forget the species. Perhaps the member that found it will post. The fossils are restricted to a couple very thin, friable layers of lucastrine deposits. You must find these layers in order to be productive. Higher in the strata there have been tracks found representing a more fluvial environ.

It's definetly worth a visit. Before the ivy's foliage presents. Just be careful.

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There's actually quite a bit of it left just north of the Lowe's off Tonnelle Ave.(Route 9) and 80th St. It is full of coelacanths (Osteopleurus) and coprolites and apparently Tanytrachelos, if you know where to look (I don't). Sadly, it's also full of poison ivy.

My one time experience at Granton left me wanting to go back. You can get access to some of the fossiliferous layers but it's tuff. As mentioned, it's covered with poison ivy. There are as well several significant high walls that are loose and dangerous. Not at all suitable for kids. Be careful.

We found many coprolites, fish scales and fish partials. One full specimen was found (fish) I forget the species. Perhaps the member that found it will post. The fossils are restricted to a couple very thin, friable layers of lucastrine deposits. You must find these layers in order to be productive. Higher in the strata there have been tracks found representing a more fluvial environ.

It's definetly worth a visit. Before the ivy's foliage presents. Just be careful.

Really? Hmm, this might be a productive visit after all...

Well, I guess part of the quarry is open then!

What a wonderful menagerie! Who would believe that such as register lay buried in the strata? To open the leaves, to unroll the papyrus, has been an intensely interesting though difficult work, having all the excitement and marvelous development of a romance. And yet the volume is only partly read. Many a new page I fancy will yet be opened. -- Edward Hitchcock, 1858

Formerly known on the forum as Crimsonraptor

@Diplotomodon on Twitter

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  • 1 month later...

After reading this, I went to the old Granton Quarry site (currently known as the North Bergen Lowe's) today with my wife, it's only a 10 minute drive for us. We did not find much, but it looks like a worthwhile trip for someone who might have a better idea where to look for fossils.

There is a very accessible area north of the Lowe's parking lot with a big cliff and some nice-looking rocks. There is a trail up the side of the rocks from the parking lot (not dangerous, but not for kids), and there were definite signs of activity along the way so I think we're not the only people to have been cracking rocks there recently. The poison ivy is not that horrible, although we made sure to wear long sleeves, pants and gloves -- for this reason I would not go there on a hot day. Some parts of the cliff were overgrown and inaccessible, but there are definite parts you can get to pretty easily.

The problem for us was, there is a whole cliff side there, with layers upon layers to investigate, and from what I read the interesting fish fossils are only in one of these layers -- we were not sure exactly where to look. The lower levels of the cliff were visible from the parking lot, and I was not sure if we're allowed to be there, so we hiked up the hill and found a spot out of sight. We sifted through the fallen rocks and split some of the larger ones with rock hammers. We found a lot of rocks with small white impressions on them, but nothing was recognizable to my amateur eye. As far as I could tell they could just as easily be veins of mineral material, not fossils. We took a couple of rocks home, I'll try to post pics later.

If anyone can give a clue as to where the most fossiliferous layers are to be found there, or how to identify them, I'd appreciate it. We only stayed for an hour and I think the site would be worth visiting again.

Anyway, we plan to try going back there on a Sunday some time when the parking lot will be empty, so we can work lower down on the rocks without worrying about being yelled at.

Let me know if anyone has any info, or if anyone wants more info on the site...

Edited by FossilBurgers
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Fossilburgers,

You can check out this pdf .

It may be of some use as to where to look next time you go.

Hope it helps.

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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In my experience, the best material was in the very fine-bedded black rocks. Give them a try.

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at granton and other lockatong formation sites the fish, and reptiles will be found in the microlaminated black siltstone. i was at granton earlier this spring and found some nice disarticulated fish fragments, and some plant material.

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Yes, there isn't too much accessible of the fossiliferous layers. If you'd like, let me know when you're going to try it again, and I will show you. I live rather close to it, so it's not a big deal for me. All I've gotten from there, though, are some scales and small fish bits. I've also gotten some thick stares from the security guys, so I'm hesitant to do more than casual collecting there.

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I guess the general consensus is: there are fossils there, but relatively rare and fragmentary.

What a wonderful menagerie! Who would believe that such as register lay buried in the strata? To open the leaves, to unroll the papyrus, has been an intensely interesting though difficult work, having all the excitement and marvelous development of a romance. And yet the volume is only partly read. Many a new page I fancy will yet be opened. -- Edward Hitchcock, 1858

Formerly known on the forum as Crimsonraptor

@Diplotomodon on Twitter

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yup, rare and fragmentary, unless you know where to look ;)

And then, still fragmentary ;) but then, I suppose you could really like fish scales or something haha.

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And then, still fragmentary ;) but then, I suppose you could really like fish scales or something haha.

Only if they're REALLY TRULY AMAZINGLY COOL fish scales. Otherwise I'm not so enthusiastic about fish scales. Perhaps less enthusiastic than something like, say, a charred burger. (But maybe that's streching it a bit :P )

What a wonderful menagerie! Who would believe that such as register lay buried in the strata? To open the leaves, to unroll the papyrus, has been an intensely interesting though difficult work, having all the excitement and marvelous development of a romance. And yet the volume is only partly read. Many a new page I fancy will yet be opened. -- Edward Hitchcock, 1858

Formerly known on the forum as Crimsonraptor

@Diplotomodon on Twitter

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Let me know if you'll be at Big Brook or Ramanessin at some point, and I'll bring you some.

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Let me know if you'll be at Big Brook or Ramanessin at some point, and I'll bring you some.

What? Charred burgers? :P

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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What? Charred burgers? :P

Nah, McDonalds has enough of those :rofl:

OK, thanks Anth.

What a wonderful menagerie! Who would believe that such as register lay buried in the strata? To open the leaves, to unroll the papyrus, has been an intensely interesting though difficult work, having all the excitement and marvelous development of a romance. And yet the volume is only partly read. Many a new page I fancy will yet be opened. -- Edward Hitchcock, 1858

Formerly known on the forum as Crimsonraptor

@Diplotomodon on Twitter

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  • 1 year later...

Hello All! I have pictures from atop the "hill" next to the Lowes, but I have no idea what I'm looking at... I am new to this (the page and the fossil thing) I'm more into geology, but my mom likes fossils and I am her photographer.. haha. Does anyone know where i can upload some photos where people might be able to look at them and tell me what I may be looking at?

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...Does anyone know where i can upload some photos where people might be able to look at them and tell me what I may be looking at?

How 'bout in your next post in this topic?

If the files are large, resize them to 72 PPI, max dimension about 900 pixels. Use "More Reply Options" at lower right of the post text box, and "browse", select the pic, "Attach This File", then "Add to Post".post-423-0-33018400-1357600582_thumb.jpg

The picture will appear where you have placed the cursor: Poke "Add Reply".

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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  • 4 months later...

I went to this site today and found the correct layers. I found ginko leaves, fish scales and fish bones. I assume the bones & scales were coprolites.

I'll start a new thread with pics.

There was so much poison ivy it was amazing. There were almost no safe areas to stand. It is too bad really because the potential is great.

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I went to this site today .... I assume the bones & scales were coprolites.

.

Not necessarily.

Sometimes the fish "blew up" from the release of decompositional gasses, and the specimens were disarticulated at that point.

So many of the scales and bones that you find are from specimens that were just disarticulated. Currents may have winnowed the like sized bits together.

Lone Ranger recently posted a slab of 4 complete Diplurus newarki from Granton. Very nice. See it HERE - also has examples of fossil coprolites with scales...

Look forward to seeing your finds.

Regards,

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

__________________________________________________
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~   ><))))( *>  About Me      

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It is too far for me, but I do not get poison ivy. :meg dance:

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen, and thinking what nobody has thought.

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

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