In a stunning new discovery, a team of researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham have unearthed a massive expanse of quarry floor filled with hundreds of different dinosaur footprints, creating a variety of enormous trackways.
These footprints, located at Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire, date back to the Middle Jurassic Period, approximately 166 million years ago.
According to the scientists, these trackways form part of a huge “dinosaur highway” and include footprints from the nine-meter predator Megalosaurus, as well as from herbivorous dinosaurs that were up to twice that size.
Understanding the dinosaur highway – the basics
“The Dinosaur Highway” refers to a stretch of coastline in the southeast of England, particularly around the Isle of Wight and the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. This area is famous for its rich fossil deposits, where dinosaur tracks and fossils have been discovered.
The Isle of Wight, often called the “Dinosaur Island,” is especially known for having some of the best-preserved dinosaur footprints in the world.
Scientists have found evidence of many different species that lived millions of years ago, from plant-eating herbivores to massive carnivorous predators.
The Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage site, stretches across Dorset and East Devon and is another key part of this “Dinosaur Highway.”
This coastline is not just home to dinosaur fossils but also offers a stunning view of Earth’s geological history, with layers of rock dating back to the Mesozoic era.
Extensive trackways on the dinosaur highway
The excavation uncovered five main trackways, with indications of additional footprints in the surrounding area. One trackway spans over 150 meters.
Four of the trackways were traced to gigantic, long-necked sauropods, likely Cetiosaurus, reaching up to 18 meters in length.
The fifth belonged to a carnivorous theropod dinosaur, Megalosaurus, recognized by its large, three-toed footprints.
In one section, sauropod footprints and Megalosaurus tracks intersect, hinting at the possibility of these dinosaurs encountering each other in this prehistoric setting.
“Scientists have known about and been studying Megalosaurus for longer than any other dinosaur on Earth, and yet these recent discoveries prove there is still new evidence of these animals out there, waiting to be found,” said Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH).
Discovery sparked by keen observations
The footprints lay hidden under mud until quarry worker Gary Johnson noticed “unusual bumps” while clearing clay to expose the quarry floor. At that point, experts were brought in to investigate the site more closely.
Supported by Quarry Manager Mark Stanway and his staff, a large research team from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham spent a week in June 2024 carefully revealing around 200 footprints.
They used aerial drone photography to build highly detailed 3D models, ensuring the footprints are documented for future scientific research.
A link to previous finds
These new trackways connect with discoveries made in the same area in 1997. Past limestone quarrying had then revealed over 40 sets of footprints, some stretching 180 meters.
The earlier finds provided crucial insight into the types of dinosaurs that roamed the United Kingdom during the Middle Jurassic and helped establish the location as a “Site of Special Scientific Interest.”
Nevertheless, technology at that time did not allow for extensive digital or drone-based documentation. Modern techniques permit much more thorough recording of footprints, yielding a deeper understanding of dinosaur biology and behavior.
A window into ancient environments
“These footprints offer an extraordinary window into the lives of dinosaurs, revealing details about their movements, interactions, and the tropical environment they inhabited,” said Kirsty Edgar, a micropaleontologist at the University of Birmingham.
More than 20,000 images were taken of the prints, forming a valuable resource for further study. Scientists hope this archive will help them reconstruct details about how dinosaurs moved, their potential speeds, and whether and how they may have interacted.
Beyond footprints, the site’s rich geological context can offer insight into its ancient environment, a muddy lagoon where these creatures walked millennia ago.
“The preservation is so detailed that we can see how the mud was deformed as the dinosaur’s feet squelched in and out. Along with other fossils like burrows, shells and plants, we can bring to life the muddy lagoon environment the dinosaurs walked through,” said Duncan Murdock, an Earth scientist at OUMNH.
Viewing fossils from the dinosaur highway
BBC’s Digging for Britain covered the excavation as part of a new series, set to be shown on iPlayer from January 7 and on BBC2 on January 8, 2025.
Hosted by Professor Alice Roberts, the program delves into the significance of the trackways and how they inform modern dinosaur research.
The discovery will also appear in the upcoming “Breaking Ground” exhibition at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, illustrating major turning points in our knowledge of Earth’s and life’s history.
Visitors can view original Megalosaurus fossils alongside images and video from the site, learning about cutting-edge paleontological tools and techniques.
These extensive trackways in Oxfordshire not only deepen our view of the Middle Jurassic but also demonstrate the power of modern technology to transform and enrich our understanding of the distant past.
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