Drone footage shows off ‘Britain’s dinosaur highway’

Drone footage shared in a video from the University of Oxford shows off ‘Britain’s dinosaur highway’ with tracks from the massive 9-meterMegalosaurus and herbivorous dinosaurs up to double the size.

The dinosaur tracks were found when a quarry worker was excavating clay off the quarry floor. While doing so, he felt weird uneaven bumps in the ground. This is when the experts were called in and hundreds of footprints were found dating back to the Middle Jurassic Period (estimated to be around 166 million years ago).

The excavation took place at Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire with the longest track coming in at over 150 meters long. Four of the tracks were created by what is believed to be the herbivorous dinosaur called Centrosaurus, who reached 18 meters long.

Prof. Richard Butler, Professor of Palaeobiology at the University of Birmingham shared, “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.”

The other track was made by the carnivorous Megalosaurus, which has a distinct three toed foot. In one area of the quarry the two dinosaurs tracks crossed, pointing at the two possibly interacting with each other.

During the uncovering of the prints, more than 20,000 photos were captured of the footprints, providing researches with more than enough material to study them from every angle. Surrounding fossils were also captured, giving greater insight into what the environment was like back when the dinosaurs were still roaming on earth.

Dr Duncan Murdock, Earth Scientist at OUMNH added, “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.”

On top of the imagery captured, drones were brought in to capture a high resolution 3D model of the site, allowing for the footprints to be seen in 3D and even be placed into a more realistic environment from a similar time period.

Prof. Kirsty Edgar, Professor of Micropalaeontology at the University of Birmingham finished with, “These footprints offer an extraordinary window into the lives of dinosaurs, revealing details about their movements, interactions, and the tropical environment they inhabited.”

Source: University of Oxford