Philadelphia Front Page News TV-Radio News In Brief: Researchers discover 166-million-year-old 'dinosaur highway' forward news by KYW Newsradio frontpagenews1@yahoo.com
Above: Dewars Farm artist reconstruction Megalosaurus and Cetiosaurus, close up
The discovery sheds light on the Middle Jurassic period and provides insights into the behaviors and movement patterns of dinosaurs in the region millions of years ago. One area of the site shows the carnivore and herbivore tracks crossing over, raising questions about whether and how the two were interacting.
The new trackways connect to discoveries made in the area in 1997, where previous limestone quarrying revealed more than 40 sets of footprints, with some trackways reaching up to 180 meters, 590 feet, in length. At the time, the site provided major new information on the types of dinosaurs present in the UK during the Middle Jurassic Period, and it was recognized as one of the most scientifically important dinosaur track sites in the world.
The original site is largely no longer accessible and, since the findings predated the use of digital cameras and drones, there is limited photographic evidence. Now, 30 years later, modern techniques and technology mean the new trackways can be recorded like never before. The team was able to build detailed 3D models of the site using drone photography – documenting the footprints in unprecedented detail for future research.
"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," Dr. Duncan Murdock, Earth Scientist at OUMNH, said in a statement.
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