In Yorkshire, 166 million years ago, a massive meat-eating dinosaur likely took a break and may have crouched down, which caused its feet to leave deep imprints in the ground. This dinosaur left behind a remarkable footprint that has recently been unearthed along the "Dinosaur Coast" in the United Kingdom. The footprint, which is from the Jurassic period, is almost one meter (3.3 feet) long, making it the largest of its kind discovered in Yorkshire.
Over the years, thousands of dinosaur footprints and many fossils have been discovered along the Yorkshire coast. However, in April 2021, a local archaeologist named Marie Woods found this significant discovery while walking along the coast. In a statement, Woods expressed her disbelief at what she saw, admitting that she had to take a second look.
She mentioned that she had seen a few smaller prints while out with friends, but nothing on this scale. Woods also remarked that she could no longer say that archaeologists do not deal with dinosaurs. She is one of the co-authors of a paper detailing the footprint, which was published in the Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society on Tuesday.
Giant Dinosaur Footprint in the British Isles
Woods got in touch with Dr. Dean Lomax, a paleontologist who is an honorary visiting scientist at the University of Manchester, to get his opinion on what she discovered at Burniston Bay, which is situated approximately 3 miles (5 kilometers) north of Scarborough. Interestingly, the day before Woods' discovery, Lomax had shared a photo of a dinosaur footprint found in the same area back in 2006. Lomax, who is a co-author of the study and the author of "Dinosaurs of the British Isles," stated that Marie reached out to him while she was on the beach with the fossil in front of her.
He admitted that initially, he thought it was a joke. He added that the possibility of Marie finding such a thing on the beach seemed impossible, especially given that she is an archaeologist. Lomax and Woods had always joked that one day, she would make an incredible paleontological discovery. Only six three-toed footprints have been discovered in the area, and the first one was found back in 1934. According to John Hudson, a local geologist who is the lead author of the study, this significant discovery provides further evidence that large meat-eating dinosaurs once inhabited this region during the Jurassic period.
He also mentioned that the type of footprint, in combination with its age, indicates that it may have been left by a formidable Megalosaurus-like dinosaur, with a possible hip height between 2.5 and 3 meters (8.2 and 9.8 feet). Lomax added that Megalosaurus was the world's first recognized dinosaur, named in 1824 after bones were discovered in Oxfordshire county, England. The giant carnivorous dinosaur was among the largest predators of its era, with a large skull equipped with sharp, serrated teeth, and a body that measured between 8 and 9 meters (26.2 to 29.5 feet) in length.
Preserved Ancient Specimen
The team became concerned that if the footprint was left along the coast, it could erode further, so they arranged for its safe removal. The footprint was carefully collected by fossil collectors Mark, Aaron, and Shae Smith and donated to the Scarborough Museum and Galleries. Lomax expressed his gratitude to the Smiths for rescuing this important specimen and ensuring that it was preserved for scientific research. Following the study of the footprint, plans are underway to put it on public display to inspire the next generation of fossil hunters, as reported by BBC.
After the footprint was relocated, Hudson and Lomax had the opportunity to study it in detail, which allowed them to gain more knowledge about the dinosaur that left the impression. The researchers examined various features of the footprint, such as its shape, number of toes, claw marks, and impressions made by the dinosaur's skin. One intriguing feature of the footprint was a long portion preserved at the back of the foot, which is an impression of what is known as the metapodium, according to Lomax. This finding could suggest that the large carnivorous dinosaur was crouching in the mud before standing up and walking away. Lomax further speculated that the dinosaur might have been leisurely walking along a muddy coastal plain on a lazy Sunday afternoon during the Jurassic period, which is an interesting thought.
Dr. Mike Romano, a geologist from the University of Sheffield, worked with Hudson and Lomax on the study. Over the past 20 years, Romano has collected and studied hundreds of dinosaur tracks along the Yorkshire Coast, and he has identified about 25 different types of dinosaur footprints in the area. According to Romano, these footprints suggest a diverse ecosystem of animals that lived in the Jurassic coastal plain and river complex some 160-175 million years ago, including both carnivores and herbivores. Romano said that the prints also allow researchers to interpret the behavior of these dinosaurs, such as whether they were walking, running, or swimming. Once the fossilized footprint has been fully examined, it will be put on public display at the Scarborough Museum and Galleries' Rotunda Museum alongside other specimens.
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