“Cool and exciting”: 10-year-old girl from Britain discovers 200 million-year-old dinosaur footprints
A relaxed summer Beach walk In South Wales turned into a prehistoric adventure for 10-year-olds Tegan after encountering something exceptionally massive Dinosaur footprints which are over 200 million years old.
While exploring the coast of Penarth with her mother Claire, Tegan discovered five huge footprints in red siltstone near Lavernock Pointa town between Cardiff and Barry along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.
These colossal prints, which are up to 75 centimeters apart, are believed to be from a large herbivorous dinosaur from the Late Triassic period. Experts tend to identify the creature as a member of the sauropodomorph family, a group of long-necked dinosaurs that once roamed the Earth.
The discovery has caused excitement among paleontologists. The paleontology curator at the National Museum Wales, Cindy Howells, is firmly convinced of the authenticity of the footprints. “What is striking is the alternating left and right feet with a constant distance between them. If they were just random holes, we would be sceptical, but this pattern suggests deliberate walking,” Howells told the BBC.
Claire, who used to live in the area, was just as excited as her daughter. “It was so cool and exciting. We were just outside and looking at what we could find – we didn’t think we would find anything. We found these big holes that looked like dinosaur footprints, so I took some photos, emailed them to the museum and it turned out they were from a long-necked dinosaur,” Claire said.
The discovery has captivated the scientific community. Howells, a veteran dinosaur expert with 40 years of experience, calls it a significant find. “It’s hard to comprehend that you’re walking along the same beach where a huge prehistoric animal lived hundreds of millions of years ago. You can spend a lifetime looking for dinosaur treasures, and for it to happen to Tegan at this age is incredible.”
As paleontologists continue to study the footprints, Tegan and her mother are in awe of their extraordinary encounter with Earth’s distant past.
While exploring the coast of Penarth with her mother Claire, Tegan discovered five huge footprints in red siltstone near Lavernock Pointa town between Cardiff and Barry along the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.
These colossal prints, which are up to 75 centimeters apart, are believed to be from a large herbivorous dinosaur from the Late Triassic period. Experts tend to identify the creature as a member of the sauropodomorph family, a group of long-necked dinosaurs that once roamed the Earth.
The discovery has caused excitement among paleontologists. The paleontology curator at the National Museum Wales, Cindy Howells, is firmly convinced of the authenticity of the footprints. “What is striking is the alternating left and right feet with a constant distance between them. If they were just random holes, we would be sceptical, but this pattern suggests deliberate walking,” Howells told the BBC.
Claire, who used to live in the area, was just as excited as her daughter. “It was so cool and exciting. We were just outside and looking at what we could find – we didn’t think we would find anything. We found these big holes that looked like dinosaur footprints, so I took some photos, emailed them to the museum and it turned out they were from a long-necked dinosaur,” Claire said.
The discovery has captivated the scientific community. Howells, a veteran dinosaur expert with 40 years of experience, calls it a significant find. “It’s hard to comprehend that you’re walking along the same beach where a huge prehistoric animal lived hundreds of millions of years ago. You can spend a lifetime looking for dinosaur treasures, and for it to happen to Tegan at this age is incredible.”
As paleontologists continue to study the footprints, Tegan and her mother are in awe of their extraordinary encounter with Earth’s distant past.
