January 2nd 2025.
When you think of the Home Counties, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not gigantic monsters roaming around. However, that is exactly what happened around 200 dinosaur footprints were found in an Oxfordshire quarry. This discovery is believed to be the biggest site of its kind in the UK and has been named the "dinosaur highway". It was created 166 million years ago when the area was a muddy lagoon, and some of the large beasts that left their mark include the 10-foot-tall Megalosaurus and the long-necked sauropod Cetiosaurus, whose name literally means "whale lizard".
Dr Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate palaeontologist at Oxford University Museum of Natural History, expressed her excitement about the discovery, stating that while individual or a handful of dinosaur footprints have been found before, the size and extent of this trackway is truly remarkable. The team of scientists and volunteers spent a week uncovering the path and creating 3-D models of the footprints and the surrounding area.
One particular area of the trackway seems to show evidence of the Megalosaurs hunting down the towering herbivore, as indicated by the displacement of sediment in the footprint. Dr Nicholls also pointed out that a few meters away, the Cetiosaurus appears to have stopped and looked back, possibly indicating that it was being pursued by the Megalosaurus. However, she also mentioned that this could just be a coincidence and cannot be confirmed for sure.
The fossilized footprints have been preserved so perfectly that even the way the mud squelched under the dinosaur's feet can be observed. Gary Johnson, who works at Dewars Farm Quarry, discovered the tracks while clearing clay last year. He described the surreal feeling of being the first person to see them and the excitement of uncovering something so ancient.
Trackways like this one are crucial in understanding how dinosaurs lived and behaved, according to Professor Susannah Maidment from the Natural History Museum. She explained that they provide a glimpse into their behavior, something that cannot be determined from just their bones. For example, previous trackway discoveries have shown that some dinosaurs lived in herds. It has also been determined that the Megalosaurus and Cetiosaurus were walking at approximately the same speed, despite the herbivore being twice the size of the predator. Interestingly, their average speed was three miles per hour, equivalent to that of a human.
This is not the first time dinosaur footprints have been found in Oxfordshire. In 1997, about 40 sets of footprints were unearthed at Ardley Quarry and landfill, with some showing detailed claw marks and one measuring 180 meters long. During the early Jurassic Period, most of Oxfordshire was submerged under a warm sea, but as sea levels lowered during the Middle Jurassic Period, coastal plains, lagoons, and the chalky limestone that now makes up the Cotswolds were formed. Over the years, numerous fossils of aquatic creatures such as ammonites and cephalopods have been discovered.
Unfortunately, many of these valuable discoveries have been lost due to sites like Ardley Quarry being used as landfills. Professor Maidment expressed her hope for the preservation of this trackway and for it to be made accessible to the public. It would truly be fantastic to see and learn from such a remarkable piece of history.
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