A team of researchers and volunteers has uncovered a massive dinosaur trackway site in Oxfordshire, England, which is now considered the largest collection of fossilized footprints discovered in the United Kingdom.
The five sets of tracks represent four-legged sauropods and a three-toed carnivore that roamed across a shallow lagoon in modern-day Britain around 166 million years ago. The team found over 200 marks in total, including those of Megalosaurus and Cetiosaurus.
The largest sauropod trackway spans 490 feet in length, with the longest single footprint measuring nearly 20 feet long. However, due to a cliff at the edge of the quarry site, the footprints disappear, suggesting that the series could extend much farther.
According to paleontologists, the tracks’ preservation is so exquisite that scientists can see how the mud was deformed as the dinosaurs’ feet squelched in and out. The team created molds from individual footprints and took over 20,000 photos to help researchers create 3D models of the markings and terrain.
The excavation provides a unique glimpse into the lives of ancient creatures, revealing their behavior and interactions. The discovery showcases how prehistoric footprints can give a more dynamic view of history compared to fossilized bones alone.
“This is one of the most impressive track sites I’ve ever seen,” said Kirsty Edgar, a micropaleontologist from the University of Birmingham. “You can step back in time and get an idea of what it would have been like, these massive creatures just roaming around, going about their own business.”
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-quarry-worker-felt-strange-bumps-while-digging-they-turned-out-to-be-the-largest-dinosaur-trackway-in-the-uk-180985774