South Jersey Fossil Collection Donated to American Museum of Natural History

Abstract

Between 1970 and 1987, Michael Bernstein collected marine fossils from previously known localities in Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, and Burlington Counties, and from a few localities he discovered. Most of the specimens are invertebrates, although shark teeth, reptile bones, wood, and a fine coprolite were also found. The bones include two adjoining peripherals from the carapace of a sea turtle, found in 1985 at the dinosaur locality in Haddonfield and donated to the New Jersey State Museum (Registration No. 85.34.2.2.1 dated July 3, 1985). In November 2021, his invertebrate collection (about 640 lots in total; 550 curated) was donated to the American Museum of Natural History in New York for permanent preservation. In this piece, Michael discusses highlights from the collections.