Huge dinosaur footprint found in Yorkshire

Image source, Marie Woods

Image caption, The print is the largest of its type found in Yorkshire

A record-breaking dinosaur footprint has been found in Yorkshire.

The metre-long footprint was discovered by a local archaeologist named Marie Woods on a beach near Scarborough.

Researchers think it belonged to a theropod - a group of dinosaurs which had three toes and claws on each arm and also included the fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex.

People think it might be the largest-ever footprint of its kind found in Yorkshire and could be around 166 million years old.

Image source, Marie Woods

Image caption, The print was discovered by archaeologist Marie Woods while she was out collecting shellfish

Thousands of dinosaur footprints and many fossils have been found over the years on the Yorkshire coast, and Marie came across the footprint in April 2021.

"I couldn't believe what I was looking at, I had to do a double take," said Marie Woods.

"I have seen a few smaller prints when out with friends, but nothing like this." she said.

Image source, James McKay/University of Manchester

Image caption, The track was made by a theropod similar to a Megalosaurus

Ms Woods reached out to Dr Dean Lomax, a friend and palaeontologist (a person who studies dinosaurs) from the University of Manchester to see if he could help identify the print.

Alongside local geologist John Hudson they think the footprint might have been made by a Megalosaurus-like dinosaur, with a possible hip height of between two to three meters!

Image source, Dean Lomax/University of Manchester

Image caption, John Hudson, Marie Woods and Dean Lomax pose with the dino footprint.

Dr Lomax said the "wonderful" discovery had revealed new information about the behaviour of the dinosaurs.

"Features of the footprint may even suggest that this large predator was squatting down before standing up." He said.

"It's fun to think this dinosaur might well have been strolling along a muddy coastal plain one lazy Sunday afternoon in the Jurassic."

A team of fossil experts have safely managed to dig out the footprint, to protect it from erosion damage, and it is now set to go on display at the town's Museum.