The Extravagant Dinosaur Highway of Dewars Farm

Fossil footprints unearth the past

In the heart of Oxfordshire, amidst the rolling hills, lies a hidden treasure: the expansive quarry floor of Dewars Farm. A peculiar discovery awaited in 2024 when hundreds of fossilized footprints lay buried beneath layers of clay.

These extraordinary trackways, dating back 166 million years to the Middle Jurassic period, have transformed the site into a captivating "dinosaur highway." It stands as the largest dinosaur tracksite in the United Kingdom, making it one of the most remarkable globally.

The footprints were etched into the mudflats by colossal dinosaurs, their massive feet leaving both impressions and rims of displaced mud. The surface was then swiftly submerged, preserving these footprints in the depths of time.

Unlike fossilized bones, tracks offer a unique window into the lives of dinosaurs. Their size, shape, and position hold secrets about their movements, dimensions, speed, and behavior.

Legacy of Dinosaur Discoveries in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire has a rich history of dinosaur discoveries, tracing back to the discovery of Megalosaurus, the first scientifically named dinosaur.

The discovery of extensive trackways in Ardley Quarry in 1997 ignited further excitement. These tracks, believed to belong to Megalosaurus, shed light on the diversity of dinosaurs that once roamed these lands.

The Excavation of Dewars Farm

The uncovering of "unusual bumps" in 2022 sparked an extraordinary excavation, where over 100 individuals meticulously exposed 200 footprints.

Using photogrammetry, detailed 3D models of the site were created, capturing the intricate undulations of the footprints. The models reveal at least five distinct trackways, including one likely belonging to Megalosaurus and four to gigantic sauropod dinosaurs.

Insights into Dinosaur Behavior

Data analysis is ongoing, but the trackways have already unveiled insights into dinosaur locomotion.

Megalosaurus tracks indicate a stride length of 2.7 meters, suggesting a dinosaur potentially up to 9 meters in length. Sauropod tracks, possibly belonging to Cetiosaurus, measure up to one meter long, hinting at their immense size.

The spacing of the prints reveals that the sauropod and Megalosaurus walked at similar speeds, approximately 5 kilometers per hour.

The Future of Dewars Farm

Dewars Farm remains an active quarry, and future quarrying will potentially uncover even more of the dinosaur highway.

The ongoing collaboration between researchers and stakeholders aims to preserve this site for generations to come. Exploratory visits and a potential excavation in 2025 hold the promise of further discoveries that will deepen our understanding of these prehistoric behemoths.