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A groundbreaking discovery has been reported from Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire, where more than 200 dinosaur footprints have been unearthed, which marks the UK’s largest-ever dinosaur footprint site. This extraordinary find sheds light on the movements and behaviours of dinosaurs that roamed Britain during the Jurassic Period, over 166 million years ago.
A window into the past
The footprints were remarkably detailed and formed five large trackways. Four of the tracks on the largest trackway, which is more than 150 m long, are thought to have been made by sauropods, most likely the enormous Cetiosaurus, an 18-meter-long herbivore and relative of the Diplodocus. Megalosaurus, a vicious carnivore with a size of six to nine meters and a reputation for agility, exited the fifth trackway.
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The tracks were first observed by Gary Johnson, a quarry worker, who was operating machinery when he noticed odd bumps. His increased understanding allowed him to collaborate with experts from the University of Birmingham and Oxford to conduct a week-long excavation in June 2024. Experts conserved the imprints for later research by creating complex 3D models using drone images.
Insights from dinosaur footprints
A distinctive viewpoint on prehistoric life can be gained from fossilized footprints. Trackways, as opposed to bones, maintain behaviors including speed, herd movements, and walking patterns. “Tracks provide insights into the ways extinct animals lived, something bones alone can’t reveal,” says Dr. Susannah Maidment of the Natural History Museum.
The Oxfordshire footprints show deformation in the mud, capturing the precise moment these giants walked across a tropical lagoon. Researchers have captured over 20,000 images, allowing them to analyze factors like size, gait, and group dynamics of these ancient reptiles.
Oxfordshire’s Jurassic legacy
Oxfordshire was a lush, tropical region with shallow seas and lagoons during the Jurassic Period. Alongside flying reptiles like pterosaurs and early mammals, dinosaurs like Camptosaurus and Eustreptospondylus flourished.
It’s interesting to note here that Oxfordshire is where Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur to be formally described, was discovered. Its jawbone was found here in 1824. Even though dinosaur bones from this region are sometimes imperfect, the trackways offer a more accurate picture of life in this era.
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Preserving a piece of history
The finding emphasizes how crucial conservation is. A peek into the past was erased when landfill covered similar trackways at the neighboring Ardley Quarry. To give everyone the opportunity to see this intriguing period of prehistoric history, experts hope the new location will be maintained and even made public.
This monumental find promises to enhance our understanding of Jurassic Britain and deepen our appreciation for the dinosaurs that once roamed these lands.
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