“Unearthing the Past: Ancient Dinosaur Highways from 166 Million Years Ago Revealed!”

LONDON (AP) — An employee unearthing clay in a limestone quarry in southern England observed distinct elevations that led to the identification of a “dinosaur highway” comprising nearly 200 tracks dating back 166 million years, researchers stated on Thursday.

The remarkable discovery, made following the excavation of the Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire by a team of more than 100 individuals in June, builds upon prior paleontological work in the region and provides deeper understanding of the Middle Jurassic epoch, according to researchers from the universities of Oxford and Birmingham.

“These tracks present an amazing glimpse into the lives of dinosaurs, disclosing information about their movements, behaviors, and the tropical habitat they occupied,” remarked Kirsty Edgar, a micropaleontology professor at the University of Birmingham.

Four of the track sets that constitute the so-called highway illustrate routes traveled by massive, long-necked, plant-eating dinosaurs known as sauropods, believed to be Cetiosaurus, a creature that could reach nearly 60 feet (18 meters) in length. A fifth group was traced back to the Megalosaurus, a fierce predator measuring 9 meters that left a recognizable triple-claw print and was the first dinosaur to receive a scientific name two centuries ago.

A section where the tracks intersect prompts inquiries regarding potential interactions between carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs.

“Researchers have studied Megalosaurus longer than any other dinosaur on the planet, yet these latest findings indicate that new evidence of these creatures still awaits discovery,” stated Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Nearly three decades prior, 40 sets of footprints discovered in a nearby limestone quarry were regarded one of the globe’s most scientifically significant dinosaur track locations. However, that area is largely inaccessible now, and there is limited photographic documentation due to the era preceding digital cameras and drones.

The team that operated at the site this summer captured over 20,000 digital photographs and utilized drones to produce 3-D representations of the prints. This extensive collection of records will assist in future investigations and may illuminate the dimensions of the dinosaurs, their locomotion, and the speed at which they traversed their environment.

“The level of detail in the preservation allows us to observe how the mud was distorted as the dinosaurs’ feet pressed in and pulled out,” explained Duncan Murdock, an earth scientist at the Oxford Museum. ”In conjunction with other fossils like burrows, shells, and vegetation, we can recreate the muddy lagoon setting the dinosaurs navigated.”

The discoveries will be displayed in a new exhibition at the museum and will also be featured in the BBC’s “Digging for Britain” program the following week.

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