LONDON — While excavating clay in a limestone quarry located in southern England, a worker stumbled upon intriguing irregularities in the ground, which eventually led to the unveiling of what has been referred to as a “dinosaur highway.” This remarkable discovery features nearly 200 dinosaur tracks that date back an impressive 166 million years, as stated by researchers on Thursday.
This significant discovery occurred in June, involving over 100 researchers who were excavating Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire. It adds to the paleontological research previously conducted in the region, enhancing our understanding of the Middle Jurassic era, according to scientists from the universities of Oxford and Birmingham.
Kirsty Edgar, a professor of micropaleontology at the University of Birmingham, remarked, “These footprints provide an exceptional glimpse into the dinosaurs’ lives, uncovering aspects of their movement, social interactions, and the tropical landscape they inhabited.”
Among the footprints identified in the so-called dinosaur highway, four sets represent the tracks of large, long-necked herbivores known as sauropods, specifically attributed to a species called Cetiosaurus, which could reach lengths of nearly 60 feet (18 meters). Additionally, one set of tracks was traced back to the Megalosaurus, a formidable predator measuring around 9 meters in length, characteristically leaving behind a unique triple-claw imprint. This specific species holds the distinction of being the first dinosaur to obtain a scientific name more than 200 years ago.
One section of the trackway, where the paths intersect, raises interesting questions regarding potential interactions between carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs. Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, noted, “Scientists have been studying Megalosaurus for a longer duration than any other dinosaur species worldwide, yet these recent findings highlight that there is still fresh evidence of these creatures waiting to be discovered.”
Nearly three decades prior, a similar site yielded 40 dinosaur footprints, recognized as one of the most important dinosaur track locations globally. Unfortunately, due to inaccessibility, that site no longer offers much in terms of photographic evidence, primarily because it predates the era of digital cameras and drones.
The team that worked at Dewars Farm Quarry this summer took over 20,000 digital photographs and utilized drones to create three-dimensional models of the tracks. This extensive compilation of documentation is expected to facilitate future research, helping scientists understand the dimensions of the dinosaurs, their walking patterns, and their speed. Duncan Murdock, an earth scientist from the Oxford museum, stated, “The preservation is so detailed that we can see how the mud was distorted as the dinosaurs stepped in and out.” He added that alongside fossils of burrows, shells, and plants, researchers can vividly reconstruct the muddy lagoon ecosystem that the dinosaurs traversed.
The findings from this excavation will be showcased in an upcoming exhibit at the museum and are also set to be featured on the BBC’s “Digging for Britain” program next week.
