Joe Thompson, a fossil tour guide from Wight Coast Fossils, found a rare purple dinosaur footprint on the Isle of Wight. Thompson stumbled upon the extraordinary track imprinted in clay on February 12 while exploring the island's Wessex Formation coast.
The massive footprint, nearly a meter across, was revealed by recent storms that stripped away layers of shingle at Shepherd's Chine. Thompson was searching for fossilized bones near Atherfield when he noticed what he described as "a big purple toe" protruding from the shingle. "Anything that's that old and that exciting—it gives you such a rush, especially a huge, almost one-meter-long footprint just lying on the beach," said Thompson.
The track is believed to belong to a large ornithopod dinosaur, likely an Iguanodon or a related species. Iguanodons were herbivorous giants from the Early Cretaceous period, measuring up to 36 feet in length and equipped with large thumb spikes, possibly used for defense against predators. The footprint offers an exceptionally well-preserved glimpse into the movements of these ancient creatures millions of years ago.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
"In the mud, it will only be around for a few months at the most," Thompson warned. "It's a shame they are not completely permanent—they do wash away after a period. Because footprints like this are so short-lived, it's important to record them immediately," he added.
Wight Coast Fossils shared images of the footprint on Instagram, noting that such clay tracks are "often short-lived, being eroded away relatively quickly once exposed."
"They are amazing but ephemeral glimpses of an early Cretaceous world and its inhabitants, now lost to time," the post noted.
The group encouraged enthusiasts to share their discoveries with local museums or paleontologists to aid in identification and research.
The find adds to the Isle of Wight's reputation as a hotbed for dinosaur fossils. Just weeks prior, scientists discovered the UK's largest-ever dinosaur footprint site, revealing over 200 dinosaur footprints in a 500-foot area within an Oxfordshire quarry. The tracks included pathways belonging to sauropods and a Megalosaurus.
The Isle of Wight, known for its rich fossil beds, was the site of numerous paleontological discoveries. The Wessex Formation, in particular, dates back to the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 110 million to 140 million years ago. During this time, the area was a floodplain teeming with dinosaurs and other prehistoric life.
Iguanodon footprints are rare and fragile, often found in sedimentary rock that erodes over time.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq