Scientific publications or announcements from the University of Oxford or University of Birmingham

Nearly 200 Dinosaur Footprints Dating Back 166 Million Years Found in Oxfordshire Quarry

Jan 2, 2025, 03:32 PM

Researchers have uncovered nearly 200 dinosaur footprints dating back 166 million years at a quarry in Oxfordshire, marking the UK's largest ever dinosaur trackway site. Discovered by a quarry worker, the tracks, some stretching over 150 meters and including five exceptionally extensive ones, were made during the Middle Jurassic period and provide new insights into the movements of both carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs, including the nine-meter-long predator Megalosaurus. The site was discovered by scientists from the University of Oxford and the University of Birmingham, who found that the footprints were remarkably well-preserved under layers of mud. This significant find sheds light on dinosaur behavior and ecology in the region during that era.