A network of nearly 200 dinosaur footprints dating back 166 million years has been discovered at Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire, marking the largest Middle Jurassic trackway ever found in the United Kingdom. Researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham unearthed these ancient tracks, offering an extraordinary glimpse into life during the Jurassic period.
The discovery began in 2023 when quarry worker Gary Johnson noticed unusual indentations while extracting limestone for roadworks. His observation sparked a full-scale excavation in June 2024, involving over 100 volunteers and researchers. The tracks, described as a “dinosaur highway,” include footprints from the carnivorous Megalosaurus, a 9-meter-long predator, and massive herbivorous sauropods, some twice its size.
Dr. Kirsty Edgar, a micropalaeontologist involved in the excavation, described the find as a “snapshot” of the dinosaurs’ lives. The longest trackway stretched over 150 meters, revealing details of how the dinosaurs moved, with spacing between footprints providing insights into their speed and behavior.
Lawrence Tanner, a paleontologist not directly involved in the study, compared the movement of sauropods to modern elephants, suggesting they might have been navigating a shoreline or searching for food.
The footprints owe their exceptional preservation to unique environmental conditions. Soft sediment with just the right level of moisture allowed the impressions to form and remain intact. Dr. Duncan Murdock, an earth scientist from the University of Birmingham, noted the incredible detail, saying, “We can see how the mud was deformed as the dinosaur’s feet squelched in and out.”
To document the site, researchers employed aerial drone photography, capturing over 20,000 images. These will be used to create detailed 3D models of the footprints, ensuring the preservation of data even as quarry operations continue.
The new trackway links to a previously discovered section from 1997, now inaccessible, enriching the picture of Jurassic Britain. Researchers believe more tracks could be uncovered as quarrying exposes new areas.
“We’ll be continuously evaluating and working with the quarry workers,” said Dr. Edgar, expressing hope for further discoveries that could deepen understanding of dinosaur behavior and ecosystems from 166 million years ago.
This discovery, featuring footprints of the first scientifically described dinosaur, Megalosaurus, cements the site as a treasure trove for paleontology and a testament to the enduring mysteries of the Jurassic era.
