Over the past 18 years, the Edelman Fossil Park and Museum in New Jersey has yielded over 100,000 fossils belonging to more than 100 species. That’s a pretty remarkable fossil hotspot–especially considering it’s an unassuming quarry nestled behind a Lowe’s shopping center.

The site, discovered by Kenneth Lacovara, Ph.D., houses so many fossils thanks to the extinction layer that stretches across the quarry. Lacovara spent years searching the world for the particular layer of sediment that holds clues about the mass extinction that occurred when an asteroid struck Earth millions of years ago, but it happened to be right near his home in New Jersey all along.

But out of all the hundreds of different species found in the quarry over the years, Lacovara has a clear favorite: the Mosasaur.

Popular Mechanics spoke with Lacovara to learn more about the prehistoric marine lizard that roamed the Earth’s oceans during the Cretaceous Period.

Ready to explore more about prehistoric creatures and fossils finds–and even learn how you could dig up ancient treasures in your own backyard? Join Pop Mech Pro for access to all of our stories on paleontology, archaeology and more. You may be surprised by what you learn–from how archaeologists discovered a statue’s missing part after 96 years, to why fossilized footprints found in Germany change what we know about our history.

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