This is just one aspect of a remarkable discovery made by paleontologists on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. They found footprints left by carnivorous theropods, such as T. rex, along with giant long-necked sauropods. Researchers made some amazing discoveries at a site that now goes by the name of Prince Charles’ Point. Together, these findings provide the first background into the types of dinosaurs that walked across the area 168.3-166.1 million years ago during Bathonian age of the Middle Jurassic.
The footprints each exhibit unique features, such as the theropod tracks that all have obvious impressions of the three toes. The sauropod tracks are pretty easily identified by their round-ish shapes. This amazing find affords us a wonderful new glimpse into the great variety of dinosaur fauna that once thrived in this region. It represents a significant step forward in paleontological research on the Isle of Skye.
Human footprints in the volcanic ash
Tone Blakesley, a graduate student in paleontology at the University of Edinburgh, was the first to notice these footprints. Blakesley noted the significance of their find, stating, “Just as we were packing up because the tide was coming in, we found a theropod footprint.” This fortunate moment highlights both the value in fieldwork and the highly serendipitous nature of scientific discovery.
Those theropod footprints likely belong to close kin to the carnivorous Megalosaurus. At the same time, the sauropod footprints probably came from the large, plant-eating Cetiosaurus. The research team recognized four different theropod footprint types, plus eight footprints of unknown origin. The capped tornado tracks are each about 40 feet (12 meters) long. They differ in size, ranging from 9.8 to 23.6 inches (25 to 60 cm).
Blakesley described the habitat where these dinosaurs lived, recreating a time when they were swimming around lagoons. “They were walking around in a shoreline environment, a very shallow layer of water sitting on top of a very thin layer of sand,” he remarked. This unique setting probably helped to preserve the footprints, demonstrating how environmental factors can play a role in fossilization.
The find at Prince Charles’ Point stands out even beyond its local significance because of the historical moment it dates to. The place was named for Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie. According to local lore, he made his landing there after fleeing the battle of Culloden’s defeat in 1746. This link to Scottish history brings a fascinating dimension to the paleontological importance of the site.
Rather, this important finding strengthens our understanding of dinosaur research. It serves to underscore the incredible promise for further discoveries in such coastal and lagoon environments. Blakesley noted, “It’s not impossible to postulate that more than one species of theropod was responsible for making a very similar type of footprint.” This new formation level affords future research to potentially find even more diversity than we’ve seen within theropod species.
The nature of the ancient footprints’ preservation raises questions about what is needed for the fossilization process to occur. Blakesley commented on this aspect, stating, “You would have to have a very quick burial of these footprints in order for them to be preserved so crisply.” This represents just one example of the fine line that exists when it comes to fossil preservation. In truth, quite a few geological occurrences were probably key in protecting these tracks of prehistoric life.
