The condition, use and future of the UK's largest accessible dinosaur tracksite at Spyway Quarry, Dorset

Sauropod dinosaur tracks from the Purbeck Group (Early Cretaceous) of Spyway Quarry, Dorset, UK

“…Spyway Quarry was studied during multiple visits between summer 2020 and early 2023, including a detailed examination of the track-bearing surface, sedimentary logging in nearby quarries and study of the remaining Lewis Quarries tracks, which are currently stored at Keates Quarries Ltd. We generated a new photogrammetric model of the whole of Spyway Quarry in August 2021 (figure 3). Our methods largely follow those used by Ferraby & Powesland [19] to generate the publicly available April 2014 model (https://skfb.ly/oDvzt) and are described in detail in Edgar et al [20]. The 2021 Spyway model is publicly available on Figshare (https://figshare.com/articles/media/ 3D_model-2021_Spyway_Quarry_Dorset_UK/21256107).…”

“…The 2021 Spyway model is publicly available on Figshare (https://figshare.com/articles/media/ 3D_model-2021_Spyway_Quarry_Dorset_UK/21256107). In this study, we present new photogrammetric models of 109 individual tracks (or pairs of adjacent tracks) from Spyway and two blocks containing tracks from Lewis Quarries using Agisoft Metashape Standard (v. 1.7.5) and Professional (v. 1.7.4) editions, following methods in Edgar et al [20]. Photos were taken on a Nikon D750 digital SLR camera with an 18−55 mm f/3.5−5.6G lens.…”

“…Wright et al [18] noted 111 tracks scattered across the bedding surface, with an additional three deemed indeterminate (tracks 1−114 in figure 4). Using the 2014 and 2021 photogrammetric models alongside field observations in 2021, a further 24 tracks were identified, bringing the total number of tracks at the site to 138 (tracks 115−138 in figure 4 [20]). These new tracks are primarily situated along the perimeter of the quarry in the northern, northwestern and eastern sectors, where a larger surface area was exposed in 2014 compared with the present day or that exposed in 1998.…”

“…Data for the 2021 model of Spyway quarry is available at [56]. All newly generated photogrammetric models have been uploaded to Zenodo [57].…”

“…While a comprehensive internal National Trust report was developed documenting the site as initially exposed [18], only a brief half-page report (without figures) was ever formally published [17]. Ferraby & Powesland [19] described a publicly available photogrammetric model of the site produced in 2014 and Edgar et al [20] described the impacts on the site of it being opened to public access and the elements. However, aside from these geoconservation-focused contributions, the site has been largely invisible in the scientific literature, receiving only brief occasional mentions [21,22].…”