Massive 166-million-year-old dinosaur tracks discovered in Britain
What's the story
A major paleontological discovery has been made at Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire, where the largest dinosaur trackway ever found in Britain has been unearthed.
Dating back nearly 166 million years, the trackway was discovered by quarry worker Gary Johnson while clearing clay with a digger.
Initially mistaking the footprints for ground abnormalities, Johnson soon realized their historical significance.
Fossil evidence
Two dinosaur species identified from 200 large footprints
The site features some 200 massive footprints, which are thought to have been left behind by two species of dinosaurs: the herbivorous cetiosaurus and the carnivorous megalosaurus.
So far, five distinct trackways, measuring up to 150 meters in length, have been discovered.
Experts from the universities of Oxford and Birmingham believe these trackways could go even further as only a section of the quarry has been dug.
Detailed analysis
Excavation reveals 'impressive' scale and size of site
Prof Kirsty Edgar from the University of Birmingham described the site as one of the most impressive she has seen in terms of scale and size.
The excavation involved over 100 scientists, students, and volunteers who created plaster casts of the prints and recorded 20,000 photographs.
Detailed 3D models were also built using aerial drones to further study this remarkable discovery.
Historical connection
Trackways connect to previous findings, show dinosaur interactions
The discovery connects to previous findings from 1997 when over 40 sets of footprints were uncovered through limestone quarrying in the region.
Notably, one part demonstrates where a cetiosaurus and megalosaurus crossed paths, with overlapping footprints.
Dr Duncan Murdock from the University of Oxford said he was excited to trace individual dinosaur movements through these prints.
Paleontological significance
Unique insights into dinosaur lives through footprints
Dr. Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Oxford Museum of Natural History, highlighted the distinctive tridactyl print of the Megalosaurus, likening it to "a caricature of a dinosaur footprint."
Prof. Richard Butler, a palaeobiologist at the University of Birmingham, emphasized that footprints offer rare insights into dinosaur behavior and habitats, beyond what bones reveal.
The preservation of these trackways remains uncertain, though a storm may have buried the prints in sediment, safeguarding them for millions of years.