When 10-year-old Tegan was walking with her mother along a beach in South Wales, she wasn’t expecting to make a prehistoric discovery. To her amazement, Tegan discovered five large dinosaur footprints in the rocks. These footprints, estimated to be over 200 million years old, were identified as those of a Camelotia, a type of herbivorous dinosaur from the Late Triassic period.

Discovery and expert analysis

Tegan and her mother Claire were taking a summer walk on the beach near Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan, a region known for its prehistoric significance. After noticing the footprints, Claire took photos and contacted the National Museum Wales. Cindy Howells, the curator of palaeontology at the National Museum Wales, told BBC’s The Dinohunters that she had reviewed the images and confirmed that the footprints were indeed from a dinosaur. She noticed the consistent step pattern on the prints, which indicates they were from a large dinosaur, probably a sauropodomorph.

Significance of the find

This discovery is significant as it adds to the growing list of dinosaur finds in Wales. Other important discoveries have been made in the region before, including the 2014 discovery of Dracoraptor hanigani, a carnivorous dinosaur. The footprints found by Tegan suggest that Wales was once home to various dinosaurs and provide valuable insight into the prehistoric era.

What is a Camelotia?

Camelotia, a member of the sauropodomorph family, is not as well known as other dinosaurs such as the Stegosaurus or the T-Rex. This dinosaur was probably about 3 meters tall and 4-5 meters long. The footprints discovered by Tegan offer a rare insight into the lives of these prehistoric creatures.

Wales as a dinosaur hotspot

Cindy Howells highlighted that Wales, once a hot desert in the Triassic period, has become an important site for dinosaur research. The continuous succession of dinosaur tracks and fossils in the region underlines its importance for understanding prehistoric life.

This discovery by Tegan is an example of how amateur enthusiasts can contribute significantly to scientific knowledge, as their findings can sometimes lead to major breakthroughs in understanding the prehistory of our planet.