'Largest dinosaur highway unearthed in UK': Researchers discover 100 dinosaur footprints dating back 166 million years

(Representative Image: Canva)

Researchers have discovered hundreds of dinosaur footprints dating back 166 million years. The footprints, found in a quarry in Oxfordshire, southern England, reveal fascinating insights into prehistoric life. The team from Oxford and Birmingham Universities uncovered five large trackways at Dewars Farm Quarry.

The discovery began when a worker noticed "unusual bumps" while stripping clay. This led to the excavation of five extensive trackways, the longest stretching over 150 metres. Four of the trackways likely belong to a long-necked herbivorous dinosaur, possibly a cetiosaurus.

The fifth trackway likely belongs to a carnivorous megalosaurus. This dinosaur, known for its three-toed feet, reached nine metres in length. The footprint site could be one of the largest in the world, according to experts.

Emma Nicholls from Oxford University praised the rarity of the discovery. "It's rare to find so many footprints in one place," she said. The discovery will feature in the BBC documentary Digging for Britain on January 8.

A 100-member team, led by academics from Oxford and Birmingham, excavated the site in June. This new discovery follows a 1997 find of 40 dinosaur tracks in the area. Researchers captured 20,000 photos and created 3D models of the footprints.

The hope is that these footprints will reveal how dinosaurs interacted and moved. "It’s thrilling to think a dinosaur left this print," said Duncan Murdock from Oxford. Richard Butler, a palaeobiologist, suggested the tracks were well-preserved due to a possible storm event.

Gary Johnson, the quarry worker who first noticed the tracks, said the experience was surreal. "It felt like I was the first person to see them," he said.