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- Researchers in England have discovered nearly 200 dinosaur footprints dating back 166 million years.
- The find, in a quarry in Oxfordshire, is believed to be the largest dinosaur footprint site in the UK.
- The footprints offer insights into the lives of Jurassic giants like Cetiosaurus and Megalosaurus.
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Quick Brief
2-Minute Digest
Essential Context
In a significant paleontological discovery, a worker at a limestone quarry in southern England stumbled upon unusual bumps that led to the unearthing of a ‘dinosaur highway.’ This find includes nearly 200 dinosaur footprints from the Middle Jurassic period, approximately 166 million years ago.
Core Players
- Kirsty Edgar – Micropalaeontology professor at the University of Birmingham
- Emma Nicholls – Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History
- Gary Johnson – Quarry worker who first noticed the unusual bumps
- Universities of Oxford and Birmingham – Leading the excavation and research
Key Numbers
- 166 million years – Age of the dinosaur footprints
- 200 – Number of dinosaur footprints discovered
- 100+ – Number of people involved in the excavation
- 500 feet – Length of the longest continuous trackway
- 60 feet – Length of the Cetiosaurus dinosaur
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The Catalyst
The discovery was triggered by a quarry worker, Gary Johnson, who noticed unusual bumps while digging up clay in the Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire. This led to a week-long excavation involving over 100 people from the universities of Oxford and Birmingham in June.
“I thought I’m the first person to see them. And it was so surreal — a bit of a tingling moment, really,” Johnson said.
Inside Forces
The excavation was part of a broader effort to expand upon previous paleontology work in the area. Researchers took 20,000 photographs and created detailed 3D models of the site using aerial drone photography.
According to Kirsty Edgar, a micropalaeontology professor at the University of Birmingham, “These footprints offer an extraordinary window into the lives of dinosaurs, revealing details about their movements, interactions, and the tropical environment they inhabited.”
Power Dynamics
The universities of Oxford and Birmingham collaborated extensively on this project. Emma Nicholls from Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History noted, “It’s rare to find them so numerous in one place and it’s rare to find such extensive trackways as well.”
This collaboration underscores the importance of interdisciplinary research in paleontology.
Outside Impact
The discovery has significant broader implications for our understanding of the Middle Jurassic period. The site includes five extensive trackways, with four believed to be from long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs like Cetiosaurus and one from a carnivorous Megalosaurus.
This find could make the area one of the world’s biggest dinosaur track sites, according to researchers.
Future Forces
The discovery is expected to provide valuable insights into how dinosaurs interacted, their sizes, and the speeds at which they moved. Richard Butler, a paleobiologist from the University of Birmingham, suggested that chance weather events may have helped preserve the tracks.
“We don’t know exactly… but it might be that there was a storm event that came in, deposited a load of sediments on top of the footprints, and meant that they were preserved rather than just being washed away,” Butler said.
Data Points
- June 2024: The excavation took place involving over 100 people.
- 1997: A smaller discovery in the area uncovered 40 sets of tracks.
- January 2025: The discovery was announced.
- January 8, 2025: The discovery will feature in the BBC television documentary “Digging for Britain”.
This extraordinary find not only enriches our understanding of the Jurassic period but also highlights the collaborative efforts of modern paleontology. As researchers continue to analyze these tracks, we can expect even more detailed insights into the lives of these ancient giants.
