The biggest of its kind to ever be discovered in Yorkshire is a nearly
meter-long footprint left by a massive, meat-eating theropod dinosaur.
Remarkably, the strange footprint seems to have been made at the same time
the dinosaur was resting or hunching over, some 166 million years ago.
Many dinosaur footprints, as well as other extraordinary fossils, have been
discovered along the Yorkshire shore. People travel from all over to this
well-known site, including expert paleontologists and fossil enthusiasts, to
see what they may uncover. Yet, it is not every day that a footprint
reaching 80 centimeters in length is found.
Local archaeologist Marie Woods discovered this record-breaking print in
April 2021. She had ventured out down the coast and discovered this
incredible fossil just by accident. In her elation and shock, Marie
contacted regional specialists in fossils, but none were familiar with the
trail she was describing. After that, she got in touch with Dr. Dean Lomax,
a paleontologist connected to The University of Manchester and the creator
of "Dinosaurs of the British Isles."
Marie, who is currently one of the study's co-authors, stated, "I had to
take a second look since what I was seeing was so unbelievable. When out
with friends, I have seen a few smaller prints, but nothing like this. I can
no longer claim that dinosaurs are unimportant to archaeologists. After it
was discovered, there was a lot of curiosity from the general public, and I
was inundated with social media comments from individuals all over the
world."
There have only been six other comparable footprints found in the region,
with the first being discovered in 1934. This most recent, scientifically
significant footprint discovered along the Yorkshire Coast is one of them.
The biggest known tridactyl (three toed) print. John Hudson, the primary
author of the current paper documenting the enormous find, made the
discovery of the earlier print, which is on display in the Rotunda Museum,
Scarborough, in 2006.
John Hudson, the principal researcher and a local geologist, said: "This
significant find provides more proof that this region was originally
inhabited by meat-eating giants during the Jurassic. The type of footprint
and its age imply that it was left by a vicious dinosaur like the
Megalosaurus, with a potential hip height of 2.5 to 3 meters." In 1824,
Megalosaurus became the first dinosaur to receive an official
description.
It became obvious that fast action was needed to collect the significant
specimen from the coast after multiple talks and the exchange of
photographs, which revealed the specimen's extreme fragility. If left
unattended, it would be vulnerable to landslides, increased erosion, and
damage from the sea, which might result in its total disappearance.
The crew had to act fast and set up the specimen's collection in a
responsible and safe manner. Experienced fossil hunters Mark, Aaron, and
Shae Smith of Redcar carefully collected the specimen.
Once the rescue effort got under way, it was discovered that local fossil
hunter and co-author of the current research Rob Taylor had actually
discovered the trail five months earlier. The breadth and significance of
the footprint had not yet been completely appreciated since the track had
not yet been fully revealed at the time of the first discovery.
Dr. Lomax, a co-author of the new study, stated, "We are very appreciative
to Mark, Aaron, and Shae for saving this significant specimen and making
sure that it was preserved for scientific study. Plans are being made to put
the specimen on display in order to inspire the next generation of fossil
seekers after it has been thoroughly investigated."
The specimen was given to Scarborough Museum and Galleries by Marie and
Rob. John Hudson and Dr. Dean Lomax have both now investigated it, and Dr.
Mike Romano from the University of Sheffield has contributed more analysis.
Over the course of more than 20 years, Dr. Romano has collected and studied
hundreds of dinosaur footprints along the Yorkshire Coast. The scientists
compared the new species to traces of a similar nature found all across the
world, particularly in Europe and North America.
Dr. Romano remarked, "The east coast of Yorkshire is renowned as the
Dinosaur Coast for very good reasons. There have been revealed to be
thousands of dinosaur footprints. Because of this, this section of shoreline
is regarded as one of the greatest in the world for finding dinosaur
footprints. While they were originally noted far back in 1907, it wasn't
until the 1980s that findings began to be regularly reported (by both
amateur and professional geologists), and it has now been determined that
there are about 25 different kinds of footprints.
Dr. Romano continued: "The Jurassic coastal plain and fluvial complex were
home to a diverse ecosystem of animals, including both carnivores and
herbivores, 160–175 million years ago. Although these various types do not
necessarily represent the same number of different dinosaur species, they do
indicate a diverse ecosystem. We can also decipher their behavior from the
prints. As a result, we have evidence of dinosaurs that could run, swim, and
walk."
Dr. Lomax continued: "This is a fantastic discovery. In addition to being
the biggest theropod footprint yet discovered in Yorkshire, this specimen's
angle, form, and claw imprints may all be studied to learn more about the
theropod's activities approximately 166 million years ago. In fact, some
characteristics of the footprint could even imply that this enormous
predator squatted before standing. It's amusing to imagine that this
dinosaur may have been taking a leisurely Sunday afternoon stroll over a
muddy coastal plain in the Jurassic."
The book "Locked in Time," written by Dr. Lomax, focuses on extraordinary
evidence of ancient animal behavior.
After conservation work is finished, the footprint, which is now under the
care of Scarborough Museum and Galleries, will hopefully be shown in front
of the public among the other fossil footprints from the Rotunda
Museum.
The new study is published in the Proceedings of the Yorkshire
Geological Society.
