A team of researchers have found dozens of giant footprint on the Isle of Skye in Scotland , thought to go to huge dinosaur about 170 million age ago .
The discovery , published in theScottish Journal of Geology , was led by the University of Edinburgh . In aggregate the squad found 50 footprints at the headland of Skye ’s Trotternish peninsula , at an arena call crony ' pointedness ( Rubha nam Brathairean ) , in a murky and shallow lagoon .
By looking at the overall form of the prints , and even the orientation of the toes and the presence of claw , the researchers were able to run out the dinosaur they belong to – sauropods and theropods .
The former would have stood almost 2 meters ( 6.5 feet ) tall at the shoulder and had long neck . The latter , meanwhile , were the older first cousin of more well - known three - toed theropods likeTyrannosaurus king , and would have stand up at a standardized height .
" The more we face on the Isle of Skye , the more dinosaur footprints we find , ” the field squad ’s leader , Dr Steve Brusatte , said in astatement .
“ This new site put down two different eccentric of dinosaur – long - necked cousin-german ofBrontosaurusand sharp - toothed first cousin ofT. rex – hanging around a shallow lagoon , back when Scotland was much warmer and dinosaurs were beginning their march to global dominance . "
The find is described as “ globally important ” because it is a rare discovery from the Middle Jurassic period , a clock time for which we do n’t have much fossil grounds .
Despite tidal conditions making it unmanageable to study the footmark , the team were able to find them using drone exposure to map the internet site . They discover the largest of the step was around 70 centimeters across , left by a sauropod , while the largest theropod path was around 50 centimeters across .
It follows on from another discovery of sauropod footprints on the Isle of Skyeback in 2015 . This late uncovering is thought to be very slightly older though .
“ This tracksite is the 2nd find of sauropod footprint on Skye , ” Paige dePolo , the study ’s lead author , say in the statement .
“ It was found in rock ‘n’ roll that were slightly sr. than those antecedently found at Duntulm on the island and demonstrates the comportment of sauropods in this part of the world through a longer timescale than antecedently known . This website is a utilitarian edifice block for us to continue fleshing out a picture of what dinosaur were like on Skye in the Middle Jurassic . ”
