Researchers in the UK have discovered hundreds of dinosaur footprints on the floor of Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire.
According to a YouTube video posted on 2 January, the researchers led by Quarry Manager Mark Stanway, conducted a week-long excavation and discovered five extensive trackways dating back to around 166 million years ago.
The team of 100 researchers come from the universities of Oxford and Birmingham.
The discovery
It was quarry worker Gary Johnson who noticed âunusual bumpsâ while stripping clay to expose the quarry floor.
Upon invitation, the researchers visited the quarry in June 2024 and started an excavation that uncovered around 200 footprints
They then created detailed 3D models of the site using aerial drone photography to form a basis for future research.
Professor Richard Butler, Professor of Palaeobiology at the University of Birmingham, said:
âThere 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.â
According to the researchers, the newly discovered trackways form a âdinosaur highwayâ from the Middle Jurassic Period.
Footprints found at the site include those of the 9-meter-long carnivorous Megalosaurus and other much larger herbivores, Giant sauropods, likely Cetiosaurus, Megalosaurus, as well as carnivores and herbivores.
Building on past discoveries
According to the researchers, this new discovery is an addition to previous discoveries made in 1997 when previous quarrying revealed over 40 sets of footprints, some trackways extending up to 180 meters.
Designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the site significantly expanded the understanding of Middle Jurassic dinosaurs in the UK but is now inaccessible with little documentation.
Fortunately with the 3D models from this new site and more than 20,000 images of the prints were created, there is now a wealth of material for further study and education on dinosaurs.
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