Scientists from the University of Birmingham and the University of Oxford have found nearly 200 dinosaur tracks, a rare finding in an Oxfordshire quarry, which had been hidden underneath mud.
The tracks are estimated to be around 166 million years old.
What makes this find particularly intriguing is that instead of isolated footprints, the researchers uncovered continuous tracks, which have been termed a ‘dinosaur highway’.
In total, five trackways were identified.
One of the longest tracks stretches over 150 meters and was made by long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs known as sauropods, likely to be Cetiosaurus, a relative of the Diplodocus measuring up to 18 meters.
One of these pathways is believed to have been formed by the nine-meter-long carnivorous dinosaur, Megalosaurus.
Experts believe these discoveries will shed light on how dinosaurs moved, their potential speeds, their size, and their interactions.
Dr Duncan Murdock, an earth scientist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, remarked: “The preservation is so detailed that we can see how the mud was deformed as the dinosaurs’ 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.”
Professor Richard Butler from the University of Birmingham commented: “There is much more that we can learn from this site, which is an important part of our national Earth heritage.
“Our 3D models will allow researchers to continue to study and make accessible this fascinating piece of our past for generations to come.”
This latest find connects to other trackways discovered in the vicinity back in 1997.
During that time, more than 40 sets of footprints were revealed through limestone quarrying.
In the newest discovery, researchers were alerted after quarry worker Gary Johnson noticed ‘unusual bumps’ while using a digger to clear clay and expose the ground.
“I was basically clearing the clay, and I hit a hump, and I thought it’s just an abnormality in the ground,” Johnson told the BBC.
“I thought I’m the first person to see them,” he continued. “It was so surreal – a bit of a tingling moment, really.”