Dinosaur tracks reveal secrets of Jurassic Isle of Skye
On the Isle of Skye in Scotland, a team of scientists has discovered 131 dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic period, shedding new light on their behaviour and environment.
Research published on April 2 in the scientific journal "PLOS ONE" by researcher Tone Blakesley from the University of Edinburgh and colleagues reveals that these well-preserved tracks are located in the island's undulating rock formations.
What secrets do the dinosaur tracks hold?
The tracks, which are about 25 to 61 centimetres long, belong to two types: three-toed tracks left by bipedal, carnivorous theropods and round, tire-like tracks created by quadrupedal, long-necked sauropods. Based on comparisons with earlier findings, the most likely creators of these tracks are large theropods similar to Megalosaurus and early branches of the neosauropod group, akin to Cetiosaurus. They might have looked like the following (image generated by AI).
Neosauropods are large herbivorous reptiles that lived during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods. They were characterized by long necks and tails, and their bodies were massive yet adapted for moving on four legs. Neosauropods, such as Cetiosaurus, had relatively short heads compared to their bodies, and their spines were more flexible than those of earlier sauropods. These species were capable of reaching enormous sizes and dominated plant ecosystems by moving in search of vegetation.
Why are these tracks unique?
Many of these tracks occur in sequential steps, and the longest of them are over 12 metres long, making them some of the longest known examples from the Isle of Skye. The spacing and orientation of these tracks indicate slow gaits without a steady direction, suggesting that the dinosaurs moved freely at different times.
This site confirms previous evidence that Jurassic sauropods frequently visited Scottish lagoons, which are coastal water bodies. However, this site has a higher proportion of theropod tracks than similar locations, which may indicate environmental differences between these ancient lagoons. The absence of tracks from other dinosaurs, such as stegosaurs or ornithopods, remains a mystery.
This discovery is part of a larger research project conducted by the PalAlba team, supported by the National Geographic Society and the Philip Leverhulme Prize awarded to Stephen L. Brusatte.
