A massive dinosaur footprint that was left some 166 million years ago by a carnivorous dinosaur has been found on the British coast, CNN reported. As per the report, the Jurassic footprint, measuring nearly a meter (3.3 feet) long, is the largest of its kind found in the county of Yorkshire. The giant creature left behind the footprint when it was probably resting or crouched down, deeply pressing its feet into the ground.
Dr Dean Lomax posted the picture of the incredible find on Twitter and wrote, ''This is the largest theropod footprint EVER found in Yorkshire. Our paper describing this giant footprint is out today! It was discovered by Rob Taylor and Marie Woods @MarieEWoods on the beach at Burniston Bay in 2021.''
See the tweet here:
The discovery was made in April 2021 by archaeologist Marie Woods as she was walking along the coast in Burniston Bay. She then reached out to paleontologist Dr. Dean Lomax, to get his thoughts on what she found. Their findings were recently published in the journal Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society.
"I couldn't believe what I was looking at, I had to do a double take. I have seen a few smaller prints when out with friends, but nothing like this. I can no longer say that 'archaeologists don't do dinosaurs,'' Marie Woods said in a statement.
The footprint was likely left by a therapod, a class of two-legged dinosaurs with three toes that includes the Tyrannosaurus rex, according to the study. The size of the footprint suggests the dinosaur was probably a Megalosaurus between 8 and 9 feet-high at the hip.
''Features of the footprint seem to suggest this Megalosaurus-like theropod squatted down in the mud, before walking away to live another day. It's fun to think this dinosaur may have been strolling along one lazy Sunday afternoon in the Jurassic,'' said Dean Lomax.
The footprint, which was in danger of being eroded away, has now been recovered and donated to Scarborough Museum and Galleries.
