Researchers have found around 200 dinosaur footprints from the Middle Jurassic period at Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire, southern England. These footprints, which are 166 million years old, offer new information about the movements and behaviors of dinosaurs like Megalosaurus and Cetiosaurus. The Universities of Oxford and Birmingham reported that five main trackways were discovered, with one measuring over 150 meters long. Four of the tracks belong to sauropods, large herbivores up to 18 meters long, likely Cetiosaurus. Another track belongs to Megalosaurus, a nine-meter-long carnivorous dinosaur with distinctive three-toed footprints. The discovery suggests that herbivores and carnivores may have interacted, as their tracks crossed paths in one area. Megalosaurus, the first dinosaur to be scientifically named in 1824, has long been of interest to paleontologists, and this find adds to its significance.

The excavation began when quarry worker Gary Johnson noticed unusual patterns on the quarry floor. Over 100 researchers worked together to identify the tracks. Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, explained that this discovery shows how even well-known species like Megalosaurus can provide new insights. The preserved footprints, found in clay, give valuable information about dinosaur movement and the Jurassic environment. Experts believe these findings could deepen understanding of ancient ecosystems and paleontology.