Up First from NPR The Day The Dinosaurs Died
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Jun 1, 2025 
Manoush Zomorodi, host of NPR's TED Radio Hour, dives into paleontologist Ken Lacovara's groundbreaking discoveries at the Edelman Fossil Park. They discuss the amazing fossil bed unearthed near a Lowe's store that links directly to the catastrophic asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. The conversation highlights the importance of fossil excavation in understanding our planet's history and inspires listeners to appreciate the urgency of climate action to protect biodiversity.
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Ken's Unique Fossil Discovery
- Ken Lacovara discovered the fossil site in a mining quarry behind a strip mall in New Jersey.
- He and his students initially followed bulldozers and later excavated the site, leading to significant fossil finds.
The Extinction Layer Revealed
- The fossil bed at the quarry is a six-inch deep layer with over 100,000 fossils from 100 species.
- It represents the extinction layer documenting the asteroid event that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs' Rapid Demise
- Within an hour of the asteroid impact, global temperatures rose drastically, causing the functional extinction of land dinosaurs.
- Dinosaurs lacking protective burrows could not survive the extreme heat and chaos.