Dinosaur footprints formed 165 million years ago on an ancient shoreline in north Oxfordshire are to be given special protection by the Government’s conservation experts, Natural England.
The fossilised tracks of dinosaurs including the Brachiosaurus, a vegetarian, and the carnivorous Tyrannosaurus are in a working quarry at Ardley, near Bicester, close to the M40. It is to be designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest — the first to be protected for its geological features alone.
The fossils found in the rocks include a variety of sea urchins, molluscs, clams, lamp shells, horseshoe worms, snails, corals and very rare ammonites and nautiloids.
Helen Phillips, the chief executive of Natural England, said: “Geological sites of this quality and importance are few and far between and we are delighted to give this important window on our past the protection that it so clearly deserves.”
The site needs to be protected from exposure to the elemnts and damage from erosion. Experts will work with the site owners to ensure that the trackways are preserved to allow scientific study.