Almost 200 dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic period discovered on the “dinosaur highway”

Researchers discovered nearly 200 dinosaur traces dating back 166 million years from the Middle Jurassic era in the Dewars Farm career in Oxfordshire, England.

This remarkable discovery, first seen in 2023 by the career worker Gary Johnson, who noted some “unusual bumps” while extracting limestone for road construction, was called the “dinosaur highway” due to the extensive paths left by these prehistoric creatures.

Although other dinosaur paths from the Jurassic period worldwide have been documented, this “motorway” in Oxfordshire is the largest discovered in the UK.

Impressive collaboration

About 100 volunteers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Oxford participated in the excavation and documentation of these traces in June 2024. This discovery is of particular significance, being made in the same year that 200 years after the description of the first dinosaur, Megalosaurus, found in Oxfordshire in 1824.

Professor Kirsty Edgar, a micropaleontology specialist at the University of Birmingham, stressed the importance of the region for fossil discoveries and dinosaur tracks.

Connections with previous discoveries

The recently discovered traces are related to a dinosaur path identified in the same career in 1997, but that area is no longer accessible. Technological advances now offer the possibility to analyse information that was previously unavailable, such as the movements, eating habits and social dynamics of these creatures.

The map of a prehistoric world

Air images captured in April 2024 show the site before excavation, revealing five extensive paths. The longest continuous route measures over 150 metres, and four of them belong to long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs in the sauropods group, probably Cetiosaurus, which reached 18 metres long.

Their tracks, up to 90 centimetres long, were compared by Paleoecologist Lawrence Tanner with the steps of modern elephants due to the size and similar eating habits. On the fifth path were found traces of a Megalosaurus, a predator dinosaur up to 9 metres long.

Trace analysis indicates that these dinosaurs were moving to the north-east at a speed of approximately 5 km / h, comparable to a man’s walking distance. It was also noted that the Megalosaurus route intersected with those of the sauropods, suggesting that the predator passed through the area shortly after the herbivores.

Ideal conservation conditions

Preservation of these traces was possible due to the soft sediment covered quickly, probably by a storm, protecting them from erosion. Edgar compared the prehistoric environment with the Florida Keys, with carbonated mud banks and nearby water sources.

Traces provide accurate information about dinosaur behaviour, such as group dynamics and predator-prey interactions, unlike fossils that can be transported by wind or water.

Plans for the future

During the excavation, the team captured over 20,000 images of the tracks, using aerial photos to create detailed 3D models. These will allow for the investigation of dinosaur interactions and biomecics.

As much of the area remains unexplored, researchers intend to continue working with career workers to discover new traces as other areas are exposed.

Edgar stressed the importance of these discoveries and the hope that the excavations would continue every summer, opening new windows to Earth’s distant past.

Source:cnn.com• Photo cnn.com