OUMNH part of team that discovered new dinosaur highway in Oxfordshire
A groundbreaking discovery in Oxfordshire has unveiled hundreds of dinosaur footprints dating back 166 million years to the Middle Jurassic Period. Found at Dewars Farm Quarry, these tracks form part of a vast 'dinosaur highway' and provide new insights into the lives of prehistoric giants.
The excavation, led by researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham, revealed five major trackways, the largest spanning more than 150 meters, with evidence of more tracks nearby. Four of the trackways were made by gigantic, long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs called sauropods, most likely to be Cetiosaurus, an up to 18-metre-long cousin of the well-known Diplodocus. The fifth trackway was made by the carnivorous theropod dinosaur Megalosaurus, which had distinctive, large, three-toed feet with claws. Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur worldwide to be scientifically named and described in 1824 and kick-started the last 200 years of dinosaur science.
The site was discovered when quarry worker Gary Johnson noticed unusual bumps while clearing clay. Over 100 scientists and volunteers participated in the week-long excavation in June 2024, where they documented around 200 footprints and built detailed 3D models of the site using aerial drone photography.
Dr Duncan Murdock, Earth Scientist at Oxford University Museum of Natural History, said: "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."
Dr Emma Nicholls, Vertebrate Palaeontologist at Oxford University Museum of Natural History, stated: "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."
The excavation will be broadcast on BBC Two’s 'Digging for Britain' and will be featured in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History's current exhibition, Breaking Ground.
