A prehistoric highway traveled by giants of the past: this is the extraordinary discovery that took place in a quarry in Oxfordshire, England, where hundreds of dinosaur footprints dating back 166 million years have been found. It’s about the largest site of its kind ever found in the UKa true paleontological treasure that sheds new light on the fauna of the Middle Jurassic.
The discovery occurred almost by chance, thanks to the careful eye of Gary Johnsona factory worker Dewars Farm quarry. While operating an excavator, Johnson noticed strange irregularities in the ground arranged at regular intervals. Sensing that it could be something important, reported his observation to the experts.
And he was right: those βhumpsβ were actually dinosaur footprintsleft in the mud by colossal creatures moving in what was then a tropical lagoon.
NEW: In a stunning find, researchers from Oxford University and @unibirmingham have uncovered a huge expansion of quarry floor filled with hundreds of different dinosaur footprints, creating multiple enormous trackways. pic.twitter.com/8ZF590BVIi
β University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) January 2, 2025
A team of more than 100 scientists, students and volunteers mobilized to study the site. The excavations revealed five different leadsthe longest of which extends for over 150 metres. Four of these tracks were left by sauropods, long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs, similar to the famous one Diplodocusbut belonging to the genus Cetiosaurus. Their footprints, similar to those of an elephant but much larger, testify to the passage of creatures up to 18 meters long.
The fifth track, however, was attributed to Megalosaurusa fearsome carnivorous predator that could reach 9 meters in length. Its three-toed footprints, with three toes equipped with claws, are unmistakable and convey the image of an agile and lethal hunter.
I’m thrilled to have played a small role in the excavation of the UK’s biggest ever dinosaur trackway site at Dewars Farm Quarry, Oxfordshire, in June 2024!
The excavation uncovered over 200 footprints, including those of ππ¦π¨π’ππ°π΄π’πΆπ³πΆπ΄ and ππ¦π΅πͺπ°π΄π’πΆπ³πΆπ΄ pic.twitter.com/UCrY2Uqf2t
β Dr Emily Swaby (@EmilyJSwaby) January 2, 2025
βIt’s like going back in time and getting an idea of ββwhat it was like to have these huge creatures roaming around,β commented the professor Kirsty Edgarmicropaleontologist ofUniversity of Birmingham.
But how have these footprints been preserved so well for millions of years? Scientists hypothesize that a sudden climatic eventlike a storm, deposited a layer of sediment over the footprintsprotecting them from erosion.
In addition to making casts of the footprints, the researchers took thousands of photographs and created 3D models of the site, to study each trace in detail and obtain valuable information on the behavior and environment in which these animals lived.
In one point of the site you can even observe the intersection between the track of a sauropod and that of a Megalosaurus. By analyzing the overlapping footprints, scientists were able to establish who passed through first: the sauropodwhose footprint is slightly crushed by the subsequent passage of the Megalosaurus.
The future of the site is still uncertain, but work is underway to find solutions allow us to preserve this extraordinary paleontological heritage. The discovery of Oxfordshire represents a unique window into our planet’s past and reminds us that the history of life on Earth is still largely undiscovered.
