Girl discovers dinosaur footprints on beach walk

During a summer holiday, a young girl named Tegan went for a beach walk with her mother, Claire. They were simply enjoying their time together, searching for interesting shells and stones, when Tegan stumbled upon something extraordinary. She discovered five enormous footprints in the sand, which experts believe were made by a dinosaur that roamed the Earth over 200 million years ago. Tegan, who is just 10 years old, had no idea that she was walking in the footsteps of a creature from the distant past. The footprints are thought to belong to a dinosaur called a camelotia, a large herbivore from the late Triassic period. Palaeontologists, who study ancient life, have noted that the footprints are spaced about 75 centimeters apart, indicating the size and stride of this massive creature. Tegan and her mother were thrilled by this unexpected find. They took photographs of the footprints and sent them to the National Museum of Wales for further examination. Cindy Howells, the museum's palaeontology curator, expressed her excitement upon seeing the images, stating that she was 'fairly certain' these were genuine dinosaur prints. Tegan felt like a real explorer, having made such a significant discovery. The footprints were found on a beach near Penarth in south Wales, an area known for its rich prehistoric history. Tegan shared her excitement, saying, 'It was so cool and exciting! ' She and her mother had been searching for fossils, which are the preserved remains of ancient organisms. Tegan's mom, Claire, was equally amazed by their find. She remarked, '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. ' The footprints are significant because they provide evidence of the types of dinosaurs that once inhabited Wales. According to Cindy Howells, the footprints are likely from a group of dinosaurs known as sauropodomorphs, which includes well-known species like the brachiosaurus and diplodocus. These dinosaurs are characterized by their long necks, long tails, and large bodies. Cindy believes that the footprints belong to a camelotia, which was a large dinosaur that could walk on two legs but also had the ability to move on all fours when foraging for food. Tegan's discovery is part of a larger narrative of dinosaur finds in Wales. The first dinosaur footprints in the region were discovered in 1879, and since then, numerous bones and tracks have been unearthed, revealing that Wales was once a thriving habitat for dinosaurs. Tegan's footprints are a remarkable addition to this ongoing story. Cindy Howells, who has dedicated 40 years to studying dinosaurs, expressed her enthusiasm for Tegan's find, stating, 'It's brilliant to say to people we have dinosaur footprints on our coast in south Wales. ' Tegan's adventure serves as a reminder that curiosity and exploration can lead to incredible discoveries, even in our own backyards.