A Routine Stroll Turns Prehistoric
In a serendipitous twist of fate, a 10-year-old girl in the UK made a prehistoric discovery while on a casual summer beach walk. Tegan, exploring the shores of Penarth with her mother, stumbled upon five colossal footprints believed to be from a Camelot dinosaur that roamed the area over 200 million years ago, as reported by the BBC.
The enormous footprints, some spaced up to 75 centimetres apart, are thought to belong to a large herbivore from the late Triassic period. Palaeontologists, now working to verify the discovery, are optimistic. The curator of palaeontology at the National Museum Wales expressed confidence in the authenticity of these prints, leaving Tegan and her mother elated at their unique find.
“We’ve got five footprints and we’re talking about half-to-three-quarters of a metre between each one. These footprints are so big, it would have to be a type of dinosaur called a sauropodomorpha,” Cindy Howells told the BBC’s The Dinohunters programme.
The discovery on the South Wales coast
The remarkable discovery was made along the South Wales coast, a place where Tegan’s mother, Claire, once lived. “It was so cool and exciting. We were just out looking to see what we could find; we didn’t think we’d find anything. We found these big holes that looked like dinosaur footprints, so mum took some pictures, emailed the museum and it was from a long-necked dinosaur,” Tegan recounted.
Expert validation and excitement
Following the discovery, Claire promptly contacted Cindy Howells via email. The footprints were found embedded in red siltstone at Lavernock Point, located between Cardiff and Barry along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast. Cindy, a seasoned expert with 40 years of experience in the region, was convinced of the footprints’ authenticity due to the consistent stride pattern.
“What’s telling is the alternating left and right feet, with a consistent distance between them. If they were just random holes, we’d be sceptical, but this pattern suggests a deliberate gait. It’s a significant discovery, and the excitement is palpable when someone contacts us with a confirmed dinosaur find – it’s truly thrilling,” Cindy explained.
A walk through history
Reflecting on the significance of the find, Cindy added, “It’s hard to comprehend you’re walking on the same beach that hundreds of millions of years ago some massive prehistoric animal was here. You can spend a lifetime looking for dinosaur treasures, so for it to happen for Tegan at this age is great.”
This extraordinary discovery not only thrilled Tegan and her mother but also added a fascinating chapter to the rich prehistoric history of the South Wales coast.