In a groundbreaking discovery, quarry workers in England have unveiled ancient dinosaur footprints, marking one of the most important paleontological finds in the UK in nearly 30 years.
Dinosaurs Walk Again: Quarry Workers Uncover Rare Jurassic Footprints in England
Dinosaurs Walk Again: Quarry Workers Uncover Rare Jurassic Footprints in England
Significant dinosaur footprints discovered in Oxfordshire shed light on Jurassic-era life in Britain.
Quarry workers in Oxfordshire, England, have stumbled upon a remarkable array of dinosaur footprints, including those of a towering 30-foot predator known as megalosaurus and tracks from long-necked sauropods. Announced this week by paleontologists, the discovery is hailed as a monumental addition to Britain's fossil record, revealing new insights into the Jurassic era.
This trail of five distinct footprints was uncovered last summer in a quarry situated about 60 miles northwest of London. The prints date back approximately 166 million years to the Middle Jurassic period, a time when England's landscape was vastly different, resembling the warm and wet environment of the Florida Keys rather than today's familiar terrain filled with grasslands.
Previously dubbed "dinosaur highway," the area had already gained fame among paleontologists since its excavation began in 1997. Scientists have documented more than 40 sets of footprints over nearly 200 yards, showcasing a vibrant ecosystem where both herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs roamed. Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, emphasized the significance of these recent finds, noting that they prove there's still much to discover about these ancient creatures.
Initially, the quarry workers did not recognize the implications of the irregularity they found while excavating clay in late 2023. The first indication of a dinosaur was merely a bump in the ground, according to quarry manager Mark Stanway, yet this small discovery has unlocked a trove of historical insights and excitement for future explorations in the area.
This trail of five distinct footprints was uncovered last summer in a quarry situated about 60 miles northwest of London. The prints date back approximately 166 million years to the Middle Jurassic period, a time when England's landscape was vastly different, resembling the warm and wet environment of the Florida Keys rather than today's familiar terrain filled with grasslands.
Previously dubbed "dinosaur highway," the area had already gained fame among paleontologists since its excavation began in 1997. Scientists have documented more than 40 sets of footprints over nearly 200 yards, showcasing a vibrant ecosystem where both herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs roamed. Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, emphasized the significance of these recent finds, noting that they prove there's still much to discover about these ancient creatures.
Initially, the quarry workers did not recognize the implications of the irregularity they found while excavating clay in late 2023. The first indication of a dinosaur was merely a bump in the ground, according to quarry manager Mark Stanway, yet this small discovery has unlocked a trove of historical insights and excitement for future explorations in the area.
