Girl Finds Dinosaur Footprints, Ten-year-old Tegan saw something that would excite any aspiring paleontologist while on summer vacation while strolling along the beach with pals. While wandering with her mother on the seashore of South Wales, Tegan discovered five enormous footprints. Scientists estimate that a dinosaur made these impressions about 200 million years ago.
It is believed that the dinosaur in question is a Camelotia, a huge herbivorous dinosaur from the Late Triassic epoch. Paleontologists are currently examining the footprints, which are spaced roughly 75 cm (30 inches) apart, in an effort to confirm their legitimacy.
An Important Discovery Along the Welsh Coast
Tegan was found close to Lavernock Point on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast. This region is a haven for fossil enthusiasts because of its extensive prehistoric past. With little expectation of finding fossils, Tegan and her mother Claire discovered what might be a significant paleontological discovery. “We weren’t expecting to find anything, but then we noticed these large holes that resembled the footprints of dinosaurs,” Tegan said.
Soon after collecting photos, the mother and daughter got in touch with the National Museum Wales. Paleontology curator Cindy Howells, who has over 40 years of experience, expressed her confidence in the discovery. She stated, “We’re pretty sure these are real dinosaur prints,” highlighting the fact that the continuous left-to-right pattern of the footprints strongly suggests a massive, long-necked dinosaur made them.
What is a Camelotia Dinosaur?
Girl finds dinosaur footprints, Tegan most likely found footprints from a sauropodomorph, a family of dinosaurs that includes the well-known Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus. Even though it is less well-known, camelotia was an important herbivore in the Late Triassic ecology. It was a large, long-necked dinosaur that was about 3 meters (10 feet) in height and 4 to 5 meters (13 to 16 feet) in length. It moved mostly on two legs, but when it was looking for food, it could also travel on all fours.
Wales: A Growing Hub for Dinosaur Discoveries
Wales has a fascinating geological history dating back 700 million years. Though it wasn’t always associated with dinosaurs, recent discoveries have changed that narrative. In 1879, the first dinosaur footprints were found in Porthcawl, not far from where Tegan made her discovery. Since then, bones have been unearthed in Cowbridge, and more footprints have been identified at sites near Barry and Sully.
In 2014, a nearly complete dinosaur skeleton was found near Penarth—just down the coast from Lavernock Point. That specimen, a Dracoraptor, was a distant relative of the T-rex. More recently, a well-preserved footprint was found by four-year-old Lily at The Bendricks, a nearby site famous for its fossilized tracks.
Cindy Howells believes that Tegan’s find adds another exciting chapter to Wales’ growing history of dinosaur discoveries. “Up until recently, we didn’t think Wales had much in the way of dinosaurs,” she said. “But now, we’re finding something every few years. It’s amazing to think we’ve had dinosaurs roaming here for over 15 million years.”
The Prehistoric Landscape of Wales
The Wales of today was very different from the landscape of the time the footprints were made. Cindy claimed that the region was formerly a hot desert, like to the Middle East today. Periodically, flash floods raced across the area, providing ideal circumstances for the preservation of dinosaur footprints. As a result of rising sea levels, Wales eventually became a tropical region with warm waters and a scattering of islands, much like the Mediterranean of today.
The Value of Community-Based Research
Tegan’s discovery highlights the value of amateur fossil searchers. “People like Tegan are essential to museums because we don’t have the time to go out and do the exploration ourselves,” Cindy stated. It is thought that there are historic ruins in the red siltstone stratum where the footprints were found. The prints’ regular pattern and spacing prompted researchers to determine very quickly that they most likely belonged to a sauropodomorph dinosaur.
Paleontologists will need to do additional analysis and verification in the following phase. If verified, this would represent yet another important discovery for the area and contribute to the understanding of Wales’ prehistoric past.
Tips for Aspiring Fossil Hunters
The Geologists’ Association offers advice for those interested in finding their own prehistoric treasures along the Welsh coast. Footprints can be challenging to spot, as they’re often covered by the tide. The best time to search is just after high tide, when the tracks may still hold small puddles of water. The association also suggests looking when the sun is low, as the shadows can help highlight the footprints.
Tegan’s passion for paleontology has been stoked by this discovery; who knows what additional mysteries the Welsh coast may hold?
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