Massive 166-Million-Year-Old 'Dinosaur Highway' Discovered—Largest Ever Found in the UK

The prints belong to at least two dinosaur species. Image credit: University of Birmingham

In Oxfordshire, England, a quarry worker stumbled upon an extraordinary piece of history when he noticed some “unusual bumps” beneath the clay surface. Little did he know, these anomalies were dinosaur footprints dating back to the Middle Jurassic period. Among the prints were those of the fearsome Megalosaurus and enormous sauropods, creating one of the most significant collections of dinosaur tracks ever found.

Researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham uncovered approximately 200 footprints at Dewars Farm Quarry, forming five massive trackways. Dubbed a "dinosaur highway," the prints, estimated to be 166 million years old, were left by at least two species during a time when Oxfordshire was a tropical landscape of shallow lagoons and mudflats.

The preservation is so detailed that we can see how the mud was deformed as the dinosaur’s feet squelched in and out," explained Dr. Duncan Murdock of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The site also contained fossils of burrows, shells, and plants, offering a vivid glimpse into the ancient environment these dinosaurs roamed.

Four of the trackways were attributed to massive herbivorous sauropods, with the 18-meter-long (60-foot) Cetiosaurus being the prime candidate. The fifth trackway displayed the three-toed claw marks of the carnivorous Megalosaurus, which measured up to 9 meters (30 feet) in length. Notably, Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur ever scientifically named, back in 1824—exactly 200 years before this groundbreaking discovery.

The longest single trackway stretched over 150 meters (492 feet), and this find now represents the largest dinosaur footprint assemblage in the UK. It adds to the site's impressive history, which includes 40 trackways discovered in 1997.

Thanks to modern technology, researchers used drone photography to create 3D models of the prints, capturing unprecedented detail. These digital replicas will allow scientists to study the dinosaurs' movements and behaviors. For example, the Megalosaurus footprints suggest a stride of about 2.7 meters (8.9 feet) and a walking speed of roughly 3 miles (3 kilometers) per hour, similar to modern humans. The sauropods appear to have walked at a comparable pace, with their tracks even crossing those of the Megalosaurus, raising intriguing questions about potential interactions.

The Megalosaurus prints feature distinctive three-toed claws. Image credit: Caroline Wood, University of Oxford

 The discovery will be featured in the BBC documentary Digging for Britain, airing on January 8, and the prints will become part of a new exhibition at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.