Researchers have uncovered what they’re calling a ‘dinosaur highway’ buried for millions of years in the UK.This incredible find was made by a team from the University of Birmingham and the University of Oxford during their excavation work.
The discovery included close to 200 dinosaur footprints, which were hidden beneath layers of mud in a quarry located in Oxfordshire.
Scientists are calling this a truly rare and exciting moment in paleontology, as footprints this well-preserved are seldom found.
The footprints are estimated to be about 166 million years old, making them a fascinating glimpse into a time long gone.What makes this discovery even more remarkable is the presence of continuous tracks instead of isolated prints.
These tracks have been dubbed a ‘dinosaur highway’ by the researchers.
In total, the site revealed five trackways, each offering a unique story about the dinosaurs that roamed there.
A ‘dinosaur highway’ has been discovered in OxfordshireEmma Nicholls/University of Birmingham/PA Wire
The longest track of footprints stretched over 150 meters, with four of the trackways attributed to sauropods.These long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs, likely Cetiosaurus, could reach up to 18 meters in length and are closely related to the Diplodocus.
Another trackway appears to have been left by a nine-meter-long carnivorous dinosaur, identified as Megalosaurus.
This discovery is set to provide new insights into their movements, size, and even how these creatures may have interacted with one another.
Almost 200 tracks were found by the 100-strong team of researchersEmma Nicholls/University of Birmingham/PA Wire
Dr. Duncan Murdock, an earth scientist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, explained: “The preservation is so detailed that we can see how the mud was deformed as the dinosaurs’ feet squelched in and out.”He added: “Along with other fossils like burrows, shells and plants we can bring to life the muddy lagoon environment the dinosaurs walked through.”
Professor Richard Butler, a palaeobiologist at the University of Birmingham, shared his excitement, stating: “There is much more that we can learn from this site, which is an important part of our national Earth heritage.”
“Our 3D models will allow researchers to continue to study and make accessible this fascinating piece of our past for generations to come.”This recent discovery has brought new attention to the area, which was also the site of a significant find in 1997 when over 40 sets of footprints were uncovered.
Limestone quarrying at the time had revealed those tracks, but this latest find expands what we know about the site’s history.
How the Megalosaurus and Cetiosaurus may have created the footprints foundMark Witton/University of Birmingham/PA Wire
The latest footprints were brought to researchers’ attention by Gary Johnson, a quarry worker who noticed unusual bumps while operating his digger to clear clay and expose the quarry floor.Johnson recalled: “I was basically clearing the clay, and I hit a hump, and I thought it’s just an abnormality in the ground,”
He continued: “I thought I’m the first person to see them,” and reflected: “It was so surreal – a bit of a tingling moment, really.”
