The cretaceous birds of New Jersey

The volume offers a concise, illustrated survey of the Late Cretaceous avifauna uncovered in New Jersey’s Hornerstown and Navesink formations. Drawing on specimens collected over more than a century and fresh material from the Inversand Company marl pits, the authors document eight genera and nine species, making this the richest Cretaceous bird assemblage known from the region. Readers are guided through the stratigraphic context and the careful process of identifying fragmentary bones, with clear explanations of how each fossil fits into the broader picture.

Most of the identified birds belong to primitive Charadriiform‑like groups, grouped informally within the historic “Graculavidae” form family and related subfamilies. The work introduces a newly proposed genus and species, as well as a fresh family, Tytthostonychidae, based on a distinctive humerus that hints at early ties to pelecaniform and procellariiform lineages. By weaving together historical descriptions with modern comparative anatomy, the book sheds light on the early radiation of neognathous birds and why New Jersey’s fossil record is crucial for tracing their evolution.