Footprints of dinosaur highway discovered in England, dating back 166 million years.

• In southern England, a "dinosaur highway" with approximately 200 ancient tracks dating back 166 million years was uncovered.
• Cetiosaurus and Megalosaurus are two dinosaurs whose tracks have been discovered, with Cetiosaurus's tracks showing paths taken by a dinosaur that grew to nearly 60 feet in length, and Megalosaurus's tracks belonging to a 30-foot predator that was the first dinosaur to be scientifically named two hundred years ago.
• The exhibit at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the "Digging for Britain" program will feature the findings next week.

Researchers announced Thursday that a worker unearthed a "dinosaur highway" with nearly 200 tracks dating back 166 million years in a southern England limestone quarry.

The Dewars Farm Quarry excavation in Oxfordshire, carried out by a team of over 100 people in June, has led to an extraordinary discovery that enhances previous paleontology research in the area and provides more in-depth insights into the Middle Jurassic period, according to researchers from the universities of Oxford and Birmingham.

Kirsty Edgar, a micropaleontology professor at the University of Birmingham, stated that these footprints provide a unique insight into the lives of dinosaurs, disclosing information about their behavior, relationships, and the warm climate they lived in.

The highway show paths were taken by four sets of tracks belonging to sauropods, which are believed to be Cetiosaurus, a dinosaur that could grow up to 60 feet long. A fifth set of tracks belonged to the Megalosaurus, a 30-foot predator with a distinctive triple-claw print and was the first dinosaur to be scientifically named two centuries ago.

The intersection of train tracks raises doubts about the potential interactions between carnivores and herbivores.

Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, stated that despite scientists having studied Megalosaurus for the longest time, recent discoveries have shown that there is still new evidence of these animals to be found.

Over three decades ago, a significant dinosaur track site was discovered in a limestone quarry, consisting of approximately 40 sets of footprints. However, due to its inaccessibility and the absence of modern technology such as digital cameras and drones, there is limited photographic evidence of the findings.

The group that worked at the site this summer captured over 20,000 digital images and utilized drones to create 3-D models of the prints. This extensive collection of data will aid future research and may provide insight into the dimensions of dinosaurs, their gait, and the pace at which they moved.

"Duncan Murdock, an earth scientist at the Oxford museum, stated that the preservation of the dinosaur's feet is so detailed that we can see how the mud was deformed as the dinosaur walked in and out. Additionally, other fossils such as burrows, shells, and plants can help us recreate the muddy lagoon environment that the dinosaurs inhabited."

The exhibit at the museum and the "Digging for Britain" program on the BBC will feature the findings next week.