A unique find reveals new facts about the life of ancient animals
British scientists from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham have discovered about 200 dinosaur tracks in a quarry in Oxfordshire. The age of the find is 166 million years, which makes it the largest of its kind in the UK, reports the University of Oxford portal.
Worker Gary Johnson noticed unusual protrusions in the ground. After his message, scientists began excavations and identified five well-trodden paths. The longest of them reaches 150 meters. Research has shown that four of these paths were left by herbivorous cetiosaurs, about 18 meters long. The fifth trail belongs to the carnivorous Megalosaurus, a dinosaur up to 9 meters long. A distinctive feature of this path was the three-toed footprints with claws.
In some areas the trails intersect, which may indicate interactions between herbivores and predators. Scientists suggest that the preservation of the traces was ensured by weather conditions.
“A strong storm probably brought precipitation that covered the tracks and protected them from destruction,”
— shared paleobiologist Richard Butler.
The previous significant discovery of dinosaur tracks in Oxfordshire was made in 1997, when 40 tracks were discovered, some of which reached 180 meters. However, the scale of the new discovery is much larger. According to experts, such rare accumulations of traces help to better understand the habits, speed of movement and size of dinosaurs.
The new discovery makes it possible to obtain more information about the behavior of dinosaurs, their ecosystem and living conditions. Scientists hope that further research in this area will help reveal even more secrets of the Mesozoic era.
Source: University of Oxford
