Ancient Footprints Discovered: A Stunning Dinosaur Legacy Unveiled in U.K. Quarry!

A dig at a limestone quarry located in Oxfordshire, U.K., has resulted in a remarkable, truly ancient discovery—not just one or a few, but hundreds of footprints left by dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic Period. Scholars are heralding it as the most crucial dinosaur trackfinding in the past quarter-century.

In the year 2023, quarry laborer Gary Johnson was removing clay with his machinery when he detected “uncommon bumps” on the quarry floor of Dewars Farm. Professionals from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham were called in, and along with the quarry team, began a week-long excavation. The crew unearthed approximately 200 footprints across five trackways—one extending over 492 feet—left behind hundreds of millions of years ago by a sauropod and a theropod.

Dinosaur footprints unearthed at Dewars Farm Quarry. Photo: Emma Nicholls, OUMNH.

“These tracks provide an amazing insight into the existence of dinosaurs,” remarked Kirsty Edgar, professor of micropalaeontology at the University of Birmingham, in a statement, “shedding light on their movement patterns, interactions, and the lush environment they occupied.”

Four of the trackways contain footprints likely made by Cetiosaurus, a long-necked plant-eater that lived roughly 168 million years ago. A relative of the Diplodocus, this dinosaur was the first sauropod whose bones were documented in 1842. The fifth track was made by a Megalosaurus, a carnivore measuring 30 feet in length, recognized for its three-clawed limbs. Its prints are about 25 inches long, with a stride span of approximately 8.8 feet.

The excavation area at Dewars Farm Quarry. Photo: University of Birmingham.

At one part of the location, the imprints of both the herbivore and carnivore intersect, raising an intriguing question about whether and how the two species interacted.

“Researchers have been aware of and studying Megalosaurus longer than any other dinosaur species on the planet, yet these recent findings demonstrate there is still undiscovered evidence of these creatures waiting to emerge,” stated Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH).

(Interestingly, the Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to receive a scientific name in 1824, attributed to Oxford paleontologist William Buckland. The fact that the team discovered Megalosaurus footprints in the 200th anniversary year of its naming, Nicholls mentioned to the New York Times, is “purely coincidental yet quite thrilling.”)

Dinosaur footprint uncovered at Dewars Farm Quarry. Photo: Emma Nicholls, OUMNH.

The recently discovered tracks complement numerous others that have emerged in the vicinity. In 1997, work at a limestone quarry revealed over 40 sets of footprints within trackways measuring approximately 590 feet in length.

To provide fresh insights into the dinosaurs that inhabited the U.K. during the Middle Jurassic era, the site has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a conservation classification.designated by the British authorities. Colloquially, paleontologists have labeled the region the “dinosaur highway.”

The dinosaur footprints excavated at Dewars Farm Quarry during the 1990s. Photo: Paul Barrett.

In contrast to the original site of the 1997 discovery, which was concealed and is now inaccessible, the new location has been meticulously documented. Through aerial photography, the scientists have created 3D models of the area to enhance the recording and analysis of the tracks. Over 20,000 photographs were also captured of the prints.

“The conservation is so intricate that we can observe how the mud was altered as the dinosaur’s feet sank in and out,” remarked Duncan Murdock, an earth scientist at OUMNH. “Together with other fossils like burrows, shells, and flora, we can reconstruct the muddy lagoon habitat the dinosaurs traversed.”

3D model of the overlapping footprints. Photo: Luke Meade, University of Birmingham.

This revelation is set to appear in the second season of the BBC Two series Digging for Britain and will also be featured in a January 30 presentation at OUMNH, as part of its “Breaking Ground” showcase. The exhibition will present images and video clips from the excavation site, along with notable fossils (including those of the Megalosaurus) and research from the collections of Buckland and his scientific illustrator spouse, Mary.