Important Dinosaur Footprint Found by Girl on Welsh Beach

A FOUR-YEAR old girl has discovered an important dinosaur footprint that could give scientists clues as to how the ancient creatures walked on a Welsh beach.

Lily Wilder was walking on Bendricks Bay, Barry, in the Vale of Glamorgan, alongside her father Richard when she noticed the footprint buried in the mud along the shore.

Her father took a photograph of the 10cm long footprint and sent it to experts at the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, who confirmed the exciting news that the 4-year old had spotted “the best specimen” ever found of Bendricks Bay – which is an important site for paleontologists.

Although it is nearly impossible to determine which dinosaur species the footprint belonged to, experts have confirmed that it is at least 220 million years old and that it likely comes from a species that was at least 75cm tall.

The dinosaur would have been a “slender” animal, says the Museum, who likely hunted smaller species by running on its two hind legs. Experts say that the print will offer researchers valuable clues as to how exactly dinosaurs ran and walked.

The south Wales branch of the Geologists’ Association called Bendricks Bay “the best site in Britain for dinosaur tracks of the Triassic Period” – and the beach is popular with professional and amateur paleontologists in search of the types of discoveries made by 4-year old Lily.

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