Dinosaur tracks found inside English quarry to be showcased in BBC documentary

A discovery reported by CBS News has brought to light what might be the United Kingdom's largest collection of dinosaur footprints, dating back 166 million years. The groundbreaking find occurred in an Oxfordshire limestone quarry when a worker spotted unusual bumps while operating a mechanical digger, leading to an extensive excavation by research teams from Oxford and Birmingham Universities.

According to the CBS coverage, the site revealed five extensive trackways, with the most impressive trail nearly 500 feet long. The research indicates that four of these trackways may have been created by a long-necked plant-eating dinosaur called cetiosaurus. The fifth set of tracks shows  distinctive three-toed footprints with claws, suggesting it belonged to a megalosaurus, a fearsome meat-eater measuring about nine meters long.

The investigation, CBS reported, involved extensive documentation efforts, with researchers capturing 20,000 photographs and creating detailed 3D models using drone photography. This discovery builds upon a smaller find from 1997 in the same area, where 40 sets of tracks were uncovered with some paths extending up to 180 meters.

The preservation of these tracks appears to be remarkably good, with researchers suggesting that an ancient storm might have quickly covered the footprints with sediment, protecting them from erosion. This finding, according to CBS, could provide valuable insights into dinosaur behavior, including their size and movement speeds. The report highlights how the site could potentially rank among the world's most significant dinosaur track locations.

The discovery will be showcased in an upcoming BBC documentary "Digging for Britain," scheduled to air on Jan. 8. The excavation involved a massive effort from a 100-person team led by Oxford and Birmingham academics during a week-long dig in June. This finding adds to recent significant dinosaur discoveries in the U.K., including footprints found during flood prevention work on a beach that experts believe belonged to a mantellisaurus, a three-toed dinosaur that walked on its hind legs.

Dinosaur tracks found inside English quarry to be showcased in BBC documentary