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131 Dinosaur Footprints Uncovered on Isle of Skye Reveal Middle Jurassic Ecosystem

New research highlights coexistence of theropods and sauropods in lagoonal habitats 167 million years ago, offering rare insights into dinosaur behavior and evolution.

Image
This illustration shows a meat-eating dinosaur (right) from the dinosaur family called megalosaurs and a plant-eating dinosaur (left) from a dinosaur clade called sauropods mingling at a shallow freshwater lagoon environment on Scotland's Isle of Skye about 167 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. Tone Blakesley and Scott Reid/Handout via REUTERS
A 167-million-year-old dinosaur trackway at Prince Charles’s Point on the Isle of Skye. Image credit: Blakesley et al., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0319862.
Dinosaur footprints dating back about 167 million years have been discovered on Skye

Overview

  • The footprints, preserved in rippled sandstone at Prince Charles’s Point, date back to the Middle Jurassic period, approximately 167 million years ago.
  • Tracks include those of theropods, such as megalosaurs, and sauropods, large herbivores up to three times the size of an elephant.
  • Analysis suggests dinosaurs preferred lagoonal environments over exposed mudflats, with theropods and sauropods coexisting in these habitats.
  • The site holds dual significance, blending prehistoric insights with its historical role as a refuge for Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746.
  • Researchers used advanced techniques like photogrammetry and 3D modeling to document the tracks, with findings published in the journal PLOS One.