Dinosaur footprints on Skye reveal secrets of ancient giants
On the Isle of Skye in Scotland, a team of scientists has discovered 131 dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic period, offering new insights into their behaviour and environment.
Research published on 2nd April 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 folded rock formations.
What secrets do the dinosaur tracks hold?
The tracks, which are approximately 25 to 60 centimetres long, belong to two types: three-toed tracks left by bipedal, carnivorous theropods, and round, tyre-like tracks created by quadrupedal, long-necked sauropods. Based on comparisons with previous findings, the most probable creators of these tracks are large theropods similar to Megalosaurus and early branches of the neosauropod group, akin to Cetiosaurus.
Neosauropods were large herbivorous reptiles that lived during the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. They were characterised by long necks and tails, and although their bodies were massive, they were adapted to moving on four legs. Neosauropods, such as Cetiosaurus, had relatively short heads compared to their bodies, and their spines were more flexible than earlier sauropods. These species were capable of reaching enormous sizes and dominated plant ecosystems as they moved in search of vegetation.
Why are these tracks unique?
Many of these tracks appear in sequential steps, and the longest ones measure over 12 metres in length, making them some of the longest known examples from the Isle of Skye. The spacing and orientation of these tracks suggest slow movements without a consistent direction, indicating that the dinosaurs moved freely at various times.
This site confirms earlier evidence that Jurassic sauropods frequently visited Scottish lagoons, which are coastal water bodies. However, this site has a larger proportion of theropod tracks than similar locations, possibly suggesting 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.
