"Dinosaur Road" found in Britain: what is it and why is it unique?
Archaeologists from Oxford and Birmingham have discovered about 200 dinosaur tracks in the Dewars Farm quarry in Oxfordshire. This discovery, made during a June 2024 excavation, is changing our understanding of the lives of these ancient creatures.
The research team identified five large tracks that are part of the "dinosaur road". The longest chain of tracks reached more than 150 meters. Four of these tracks were left by sauropods - long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs, probably cetiosaurs, close relatives of the diplodocus, which could reach 18 meters in length. The Independent writes about this.
Another path was left by a carnivorous megalosaurus, which was 9 meters long. Its distinctive feature was three-toed feet with sharp claws.
One of the excavation sites shows intersecting traces of herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs. This raised many questions among scientists about the possible interaction between these animals.
As part of the project, the team took more than 20 thousand photos and created detailed 3D models of the area using drones. The findings complemented those of 1997, when more than 40 sets of tracks up to 180 meters long were discovered in the same area.
Dr. Duncan Murdoch of the Oxford Natural History Museum said:
"The preservation of the footprints is so good that you can see how the soil deformed under the weight of the dinosaurs. Thanks to this and other finds, such as shells, plants, and burrows, we can recreate the ecosystem of that era."
Professor Richard Butler from the University of Birmingham added:
"This site is a key part of our geological heritage. Thanks to 3D models, we can continue the research and make this discovery accessible to future generations."
The excavations will be featured in the Digging for Britain program on BBC Two, led by Professor Alice Roberts. The findings will also be shown at the Breaking Ground exhibition.
Researchers at the Columbia Climate School suggest that a sudden volcanic winter could have caused the mass extinction at the end of the Triassic, 201.6 million years ago. This extinction wiped out three quarters of all life on the planet and became one of the five largest cataclysms in the history of the Earth.
Earlier, we told you that a man discovered the remains of an Ice Age mastodon near his house.
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