Giant meat-eating dinosaur footprint discovered on Yorkshire coastline

Dealing with footprints and other types of trace fossils can be more tricky than working with so-called body fossils.

The reason is that different species can leave the same type of trace, while a single species can leave multiple types of traces — for example, footprints, burrows, resting marks, etc. Even the difference between walking and running can leave different footprints.

Accordingly, trace fossils are normally named according to their very own classification system, separate to that of biological species.

Although 25 types of dinosaur footprints have been found in the Cleveland Basin, this does not mean that the area once played host to 25 different species of dinosaur.

Nevertheless, Dr Romano said: “They do indicate a diverse ecosystem of animals including both carnivores and herbivores that roamed the Jurassic coastal plan and fluvial complex some 160–175 million years ago.”

“The prints also allow us to interpret their behaviour. Thus, we have records of walking, running and swimming dinosaurs.”

In fact, based on its features, the team believes that the Burniston Bay footprint may have been made by a dinosaur in the process of standing up from a squatted posture.

Article source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1744851/giant-dinosaur-footprint-trace-fossil-yorkshire-burniston-megalosaurus