A Hidden Path: Prehistoric Footprints in the UK

Imagine a worker in Oxfordshire, England, noticing strange bumps in the clay at a quarry. These bumps turned out to be footprints left by ancient dinosaurs over 166 million years ago. Experts found about 200 footprints, creating five massive “dinosaur highways” made by at least two different dinosaur species. One of these dinosaurs was the Cetiosaurus, a giant herbivore up to 60 feet long. Another was the Megalosaurus, a fearsome carnivore up to 30 feet long. The longest trackway is over 490 feet long. This discovery adds to the site's 40 previously found trackways.

Using modern technology like drone photography, researchers created 3D models of these prints. They found that the Megalosaurus walked at about 3 miles per hour, similar to humans today. The sauropods also walked at this speed, and their tracks sometimes cross paths with the Megalosaurus, suggesting possible interactions.

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