10-year-old girl finds dinosaur footprints on UK beach; how a casual walk led to a historic discovery

During a casual summer walk on the South Wales coast with her mother in Penarth, Tegan stumbled upon five massive footprints, believed to be over 200 million years old. (Representative Image: Canva)

Can you imagine that a simple beach day, spent collecting stones, shells, and playing in the sand, could lead to a historical discovery? Probably not! But that’s exactly what happened to 10-year-old Tegan. During a casual summer walk on the South Wales coast with her mother in Penarth, she stumbled upon five massive footprints, believed to be over 200 million years old. Experts are working to verify the prints, which are thought to belong to a Camelotia, a large herbivorous dinosaur from the late Triassic period, BBC reported

The enormous prints, spaced up to 75cm apart, were found in the red siltstone at Lavernock Point, a well-known spot for prehistoric discoveries between Cardiff and Barry on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast. Experts from the National Museum Wales believe the footprints are real, pointing to the steady stride pattern as a clear sign that they were made by a dinosaur.

Tegan's mother, Claire, wasted no time and contacted Cindy Howells, a palaeontologist with 40 years of experience in the area. Cindy confirmed that the prints likely belonged to a long-necked dinosaur from the sauropodomorph family, which includes species like Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus. She explained, "These footprints are so large that they must have been made by a type of sauropodomorph. The regular distance between each print shows it was a deliberate walk, making this an important discovery."

Tegan and her mother were overjoyed with the discovery, which happened on a beach where Claire used to live. "It was so cool and exciting. We were just out looking to see what we could find, and we didn’t expect to find anything. When we saw the big holes that looked like dinosaur footprints, mum took some pictures and sent them to the museum," Tegan shared.

This find adds to the growing number of dinosaur discoveries in South Wales, a region that’s becoming known for its Triassic-period tracks and fossils. Past discoveries in the area include the first dinosaur footprints found in Wales in 1879 and a well-preserved dracoraptor skeleton found in 2014. Cindy noted that while dinosaur finds in Wales used to be rare, they’re now happening more often, with new footprints or bones being found every five to six years.

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Cindy has written a report about the discovery to share with other experts, hoping to get the find officially verified. "It’s amazing to tell people that we have dinosaur footprints on our coast in South Wales. These discoveries remind us that there’s always more to learn, and sometimes, it’s the curiosity of a child that helps us uncover the secrets of the past," she added.

For Tegan, the discovery has sparked a new interest in palaeontology, and her mother couldn’t be prouder. "It’s hard to imagine that you’re walking on the same beach where, hundreds of millions of years ago, some massive prehistoric animal walked. For this to happen to Tegan at such a young age is incredible," Claire said.

As more people learn about the discovery, the Geologists’ Association has reminded amateur dinosaur hunters that footprints can be tricky to spot, especially at high tide. They suggest visiting the area after high tide, when the tracks might be more visible, especially when the sun is low in the sky, casting shadows that help highlight the prints.

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