166-million-year-old ‘Dinosaur Highway’ discovered in England

In June 2024, a quarry worker digging up clay in an English limestone quarry made a surprising discovery: a 166-million-year-old “Dinosaur Highway.” With almost 200 footprints scaling 492 feet and dating to the Jurassic Period, this finding of the largest dinosaur track site in England could provide great insight into the lives of creatures millions of years ago.

Following his discovery, the worker, Gary Johnson, contacted the Universities of Birmingham and Oxford, inducing an excavation of the area. Since paleontological discoveries of this magnitude are rare in the United Kingdom, it prompted great excitement in its scientific community; 100 volunteers from the universities arrived on the scene and worked collaboratively to gain more information. 

Over 160 million years ago, the area was a tropical lagoon, through whose mud dinosaurs trod. The preservation of such tracks is rare, but the lagoon’s unique conditions made it possible, as soft sediments and an appropriate amount of water covered and thus protected them. Due to their preserved state, researchers can use a variety of techniques to gain a glimpse into the daily lives of these dinosaurs. 

Duncan Murdock, an earth scientist at the Oxford Museum, commented on the long-lasting site. “The preservation is so detailed that we can see how the mud was deformed as the dinosaur’s feet squelched in and out. Along with other fossils like burrows, shells and plants, we can bring to life the muddy lagoon environment the dinosaurs walked through,” he said.

Four of the track sets are believed to be from Cetiosauri, dinosaurs believed to reach almost 60 feet. A fifth set is believed to be from Megalosauri, fierce predators measuring 30 feet. At the time, the dinosaurs may have been navigating to the shoreline and trees or heading to food sources, but it is difficult to confirm with certainty as the paths appear to intersect in a strange manner. 

The volunteer group further took over 20,000 digital images and utilized drones to produce 3D models of the tracks. Information such as this can be used in the future to reveal more about the size, movement, dietary habits and social dynamics of the dinosaurs. Based on estimates of speed, for example, researchers concluded that the dinosaurs were most likely walking instead of running.

These discoveries will be displayed in an exhibit at the Oxford Museum of Natural History and will additionally be broadcast on BBC’s “Digging for Britain” program. Furthermore, because researchers did not have enough time to explore the whole area, they plan to continue excavations during the summer, expecting to uncover additional areas.

Oxford University vertebrate paleontologist Emma Nicholls said the latest findings show there is still more to learn about the dinosaurs. “Scientists have known about and been studying Megalosaurus for longer than any other dinosaur on Earth, and yet these recent discoveries prove there is still new evidence of these animals out there, waiting to be found,” she said. 

Sherwood High School senior Fahey James echoed similar sentiments. “It’s so fascinating that stuff like this has been preserved and is still being discovered,” she said.

Written by Nisha Khatri

Photo courtesy of University of Birmingham and Creative Commons