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http://thescotsman.co.uk/index.cfm?id=953532002
Walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs
John Ross and William Lyons
FOOTPRINTS in the sand are leading a team of experts to new evidence of Scotland’s own island Jurassic Park.
A series of dinosaur prints discovered on Skye are giving further clues to the sort of giant beast that roamed the area 165 million years ago.
Today, visitors to An Corran, at Staffin Bay, can see work progressing to preserve the fossils, considered to be the biggest and best ever found in Scotland, as scientists, while not exactly walking with dinosaurs, are certainly following in their footsteps.
Very large footsteps at that. Some are more than 50cm long and are believed to have been made by a Megalosaurus, a one-ton, nine-metre "great lizard" known to exist in Europe during the Jurassic period.
The huge, meat-eating predator had a large head with powerful jaws. Megalosaurus had three fingered claws and feet with four toes, all with strong talons.
When it arrived, Scotland and North America were on the same land mass and the climate around Skye was close to Mediterranean.
The impression its feet made on the damp beach was covered over by blown sand and preserved, only to be revealed recently.
Now experts led by Dr Neil Clark, from the University of Glasgow's Hunterian Museum, plan to uncover 16 prints and make rubber moulds so they can be preserved before the elements eventually wipe them out forever.
Dr Clark said: "Dinosaur remains are very rare in Scotland and every attempt should be made to protect them.
"Sadly, these footprints were found on a beach that is battered by winter storms. It is important that we have a permanent record of these footprints in our museums before tidal erosion destroys them or sand engulfs them.
"After clearing all the sand we will clean the footprints up and then pour rubber into the prints to make a permanent rubber display so that visitors and residents on Skye may see them in the rock on which they formed."
He said the latest discovery in Staffin Bay is intriguing because as yet the exact age cannot be determined from the rocks in which they occur.
"Closer examination of the sedimentary rocks in which the footprints occur will hopefully resolve the question of their precise age, but they look like the youngest dinosaur remains from Scotland," he explained yesterday.
The first evidence of dinosaurs in Scotland was a single footprint found in Skye in 1982.
Since then dinosaur remains have been found periodically, including the shin bone of a small, meat-eating dinosaur in the early 1990s, the thigh bone of a large, plant-eating beast a few years later and elbow bones from a Stegasuar-type dinosaur in 1997.
The first footprint was found in 1982, measuring 47 cm long and was probably made by a large plant-eating dinosaur. A number of smaller prints were found nearby in 1996.
The most recent discovery was made this year by Cathie Booth, from the Glen View Inn who spotted a 24cm footprint in a loose block of sandstone at An Corran.
Mrs Booth said: "I was walking the dog when I came across the single footprint in the rock and immediately took it home for my husband to look at. I wasn't sure that what I had was a dinosaur footprint, and was delighted to have it confirmed by Dr Clark."
Her husband Paul was "dumfounded" by what he was shown. "There was a dinosaur print staring at me and we decided we should go out and see if we could find more," he said. With the help of Dr Clark and Dougald Ross from the Staffin Museum, a further 15 tracks between 32 and 53cm and of different shapes were found, suggesting they were made by a variety of dinosaurs.
The rescue excavation and moulding project is grant-aided by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the advisor on conservation, including geological remains such as fossils.
Original casts of the footprints will be kept at Staffin museum, and copies will be sent to the Hunterian Museum and the National Museum of Scotland.
The discoveries add to the historic natural treasure trove in Scotland which boasts some of the rarest and most scientifically important fossils in the world, spanning at least 800 million years of Earth history.
However, many of these are under threat, not just from the elements but from the irresponsible and illegal collecting and trade of rare fossils.
Stephen Varwell, an advisory officer at Scottish National Heritage, said: "We hope that by drawing attention to these precious remains we will raise awareness of the importance of their conservation and encourage people to protect their local fossils from thieves.
"In addition, the casting will allow these Jurassic period prints to be preserved for posterity so future generations can learn about the fascinating dinosaur age."
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