Girl finds ancient dinosaur footprint

A four-year-old girl named Lily Wilder discovered a 220-million-year-old dinosaur footprint on Bendricks Bay beach in Wales in early 2021. The discovery was made while she was playing on the shore, highlighting how such finds can sometimes come from unexpected sources.

Footprint details and significance

The imprint, found in rock, features three long fingers ending in claws and is attributed to a small, bipedal, carnivorous theropod dinosaur. The clarity of the print allows specialists to study the animal's gait and anatomy, making it one of the most well-preserved traces on the Welsh coast.

Classification and comparison

The species is associated with the type of prints called grallator, typically left by small theropods that ran on their hind legs. Based on the size of the footprint, the dinosaur is estimated to have measured about 75 centimeters at the withers and 2.5 meters in length, likely hunting small prey and insects.

Possible identification and preservation

The shape of the footprint resembles that of Coelophysis, a well-known genus in North America, though the exact species cannot be determined from a single footprint. The rock containing the print was collected with the agreement of local authorities and is now preserved in a museum for further study and public display.