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During the previous summer, an employee at a limestone quarry located in southeast England was excavating clay when he observed some unusual protrusions in the vicinity.

Recently, a collaborative effort involving more than 100 researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Oxford has confirmed that the bumps discovered are indeed dinosaur tracks, dating back approximately 166 million years to the Middle Jurassic era.

Approximately 200 footprints have been uncovered across five distinct trails at Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire. This recent discovery sheds light on the behaviors of dinosaurs, offering valuable information regarding their speed, size, locomotion, and social interactions.

“According to our speed estimates, it is likely that all dinosaurs were more inclined to walk than to run,” stated Kirsty Edgar, a micropaleontology professor at the University of Birmingham.

Edgar suggests that the habitat of the dinosaurs may have been similar to the modern-day Florida Keys. Scientists uncovered five trackways preserved in the mud, with the longest measuring nearly 500 feet.

Four of the trackways were created by long-necked herbivorous sauropods, probably belonging to the 60-foot, two-ton species known as Cetiosaurus.

The fifth set was created by a meat-eating Megalosaurus, a predator that stretched 30 feet in length and had clawed feet with three toes. In 1824, it was William Buckland, a geologist from Oxford, who became the first to scientifically name the Megalosaurus, marking a significant moment in paleontology.

In one section of the site, the tracks of carnivores and herbivores intersected, prompting inquiries into the nature of their interactions and whether they coexisted in the same environment.

“Researchers have had knowledge of and have been investigating Megalosaurus longer than any other dinosaur species on the planet. However, recent findings demonstrate that there remains untapped evidence regarding these creatures, just waiting to be uncovered,” stated Emma Nicholls, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Oxford Museum of Natural History.

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The tracks left by the Megalosaurus measured approximately 25 inches in length, with a stride spanning about 8.8 feet. Researchers believe that this dinosaur moved at a speed of approximately three miles per hour, which is comparable to the typical walking speed of an adult human. It is also suggested that the sauropods may have traveled at a similar rate.

Dinosaur footprints were initially found in the region in 1997 when workers at a limestone quarry stumbled upon over 40 sets of tracks. Some of these trackways extended nearly 600 feet long.

The UK government has identified the Oxfordshire location as one of the globe's key dinosaur track sites, granting it the status of a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

In general, the recent findings have shed light on the types of dinosaurs that roamed the U.K. during the Middle Jurassic era.

Thanks to advancements in modern technology, prints can now be captured with unprecedented detail, enhancing the importance of the region.

In the most recent excavation, over 20,000 images of 200 dinosaur footprints were taken. These images will be valuable resources for ongoing research and educational purposes related to dinosaurs.

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