Huge dinosaur footprint found on Yorkshire Coast
A local archaeologist made the discovery while collecting shellfish.
A large dinosaur footprint has been found on the Yorkshire Coast, which experts believe is the biggest to ever be found in Yorkshire.
Experts believe it was made by a large meat-eating dinosaur matching the print of a Megalosaurus, which lived between 175 and 164 million years ago.
Archaeologist Marie Woods discovered it while collecting shellfish on the beach.
She said: "You only see prints of that size when you go to the museum, or you see them on TV.
"To actually see one up close in real life was pretty staggering.
"Because of where these prints sit along the coastline, they're open to erosion and accidental damage, so it's really about the scientific preservation of it."
After her sighting, Ms Woods contacted palaeontologist Dr Dean Lomax, the author of Dinosaurs of the British Isles
He revealed that this was actually a rediscovery, as the print had been partially spotted in November 2020 by fossil collector Rob Taylor.
Mr Taylor posted pictures of the print into a Facebook group dedicated to fossils from Yorkshire, but the footprint was not yet fully exposed, and its true value not yet known.
Dr Lomax called the discovery a “real Jurassic giant” and hopes that the specimen can be rescued for science.
He said: "It will definitely make a wonderful study and would look amazing on display, for the public to enjoy."