4-year-old finds dino footprint in Wales!
One of the best-preserved dinosaur footprints ever found in the UK has been discovered by a little girl on a Welsh beach…
Last month, 4-year-old Lily Wilder was walking along a rocky beach in Wales with her family when an unusual-looking boulder caught her eye. When she and her Dad stopped to take a closer look, they quickly realised it wasn’t just any old rock – it had a fossilised dinosaur footprint on it!
Excited by what they might have found, the Wilder family called National Museum Wales to tell them about the discovery. Fossil expert Cindy Howells came to investigate, and confirmed what Lily suspected: it was a prehistoric footprint!
The amazing fossil has been examined by palaeontologists (scientists who study dinosaurs), who estimate that the footprint is around 220 million years old!
It belongs to a group of fossils called Grallator footprints, left by a variety of small dinosaurs, including the American Coelophysis. Lily’s discovery measures just over 10cm long, which means that the dinosaur who left it probably stood between 75cm and 2m tall! That’s about as tall as an emu!
The dinosaur would have been a slender animal, which walked on its two hind feet and actively hunted other small animals and insects.
Lily made her discovery on Bendrick’s Bay near Barry in South Wales. This area is a Site of Scientific Interest, known for its fossil finds!
“This fossilised dinosaur footprint is one of the best-preserved examples from anywhere in the UK“, said Cindy Howells, who works with fossils at National Museum Wales. “It will really help palaeontologists to get a better idea about how early dinosaurs walked.”
Thanks to Lily and her family, this fossil has been extracted and moved to National Museum Cardiff. There, it can be enjoyed by others for generations, and could have a significant impact on scientific research. Amazing work, Lily!
If you live near a rocky beach, make sure you keep your eyes peeled – your discovery could be the next to hit the headlines! Check out Nat Geo Kids’ Quick Guide to Fossil Hunting for tips on what to look for!
Thanks to National Museum Wales and the Wilder family for the images used in this article!
Have you ever found a fossil? Let us know in the comments below!
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COMMENTS1
annabelle
that is really cool well done lily and keep discovering new things
belles
that is sooooooo cool and well done lily great discovery
DISCOVERYdude
amazing
Big cat
Love it four year old queen!!
nice
big cat.
i want to see the fossil soo bad!!!
Jackie boy
that so cool
NICE
You can see something in the top right corner though, what is that?
giraffe
she is going to be a paleaologist
BIG E
super cool how did you know people did not carv it.
Nice yes yeah dinosaurs and birds.
cool
SP
wow
arabella
wow thats incredibel
lol kinda wish that was me
Cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dinoboy
COOOOOOOOOOOL
QT
Mind BLOWN
aj
its amazing how you can be that young but so clever
UWAH
Thats 4 year old is a genius.
MJ
wow thats amaing!
Treesrawesome2510
I love how this means that you don't have to be an expert at everything to find things and do things that lots of adults can.
7MFMJF
wowsa i love dinosaurs
Wow
Emerald-Rose
wowza
a guy
Coooool
a guy
Oh wow!
adele
well done lily that is quite a discovery
The yeeter
wow that is so cool well done lily
wow
dada
i love animals
millie
really cool
Mouse
Monica
Wow! That's amazing, I wish I would find something like this.
wow
Rilla
that is Amazing and also very cool
Hannah
JJ
That's awesome!☺️
P
Coco
Can’t believe it’s a fact a four year old girl found a fossil I can’t believe it
amzing
best boy
wow
Angela martins lima. Age:6
me and my freind Alice found lots of dinosaur fosils
Alice saffi polyak tavares da silva
I really want to find a fosil
cool! what a big find for a little girl
aphmau
wow this is a amazind discovery for the little girl
Wow!
Cool
Activist Olivia
Wow!
Gabby
I have found a lot of sea snail fossils in my grandparents garden.
Gabby
I found a sea creature fossil last year. My Mum said it was a marsupial.
ÓRLA
Hiya
sania
WOW
non
wow
EveNugget
WOW
Charlie
June
ATS
jessicap
This is amazing! I wish I could be lucky enough to find something like this. maybe next time
sebastian
a four year old?!!! WOW
sage
wow four year olds can do that!Cool As ice!!!!!!!!!!!!
cool!
Yay
Hi
Mariam
It’s so cool
28qberky
cool
landen
wow
Wow
RoRo
Ellie
So cool
Norim
That was very cool
that is epic
Coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
Sunset_sunset
WOW
TANAKORN
yes
EM321671
wow that's cool
Scoob
Astonishing
sdaUgdh
hi
miss missi miss
nice
that is so cool
cyndrex
wow just wow
coool
that is cool
santiago
wow so cool
ROBERT
COOL !
Yo. My name is secret.
I love your website. Jomama
Jim
Hamish
pretty cool!
Hamish
COOL!
FNAF
Cool
nice
hola
hola
Coo coo coconut
Give it up for Lily . I am so jealous so once again give it up for Lily!!!
snowleopard
Wow
megan
lucky u i wish i could find one too
Evelyn
one time when we were on Holliday on the isle of white we went fossil hunting, and our mum found a dinosaur rib bone! It was quite small, but it was still an amazing find!
Kaia
No but some day I will!
Aisling
hi
COOL !
Rosalyn
This is amazing! I wish I could be lucky enough to find something like this.
WOW
YAK
I foud a lot of stones but no one was a fossil
Aoibhinn
my friend brought a rock in to school and it had prehistoric bugs and insect fossils on it
sarah
Conor
I found old cart wheels in a field from the late 18 hundreds
I've never found a dino footprint but seeing a four year old find one? thats super cool
Mila
so cool!
Mila
Awesome!
Forest
um WOW!
I found a shark tooth
HYH Kokoro
Super cool !
STR596
coooooooooooooooool
alexa
great eye lily wilder wow
Max
This is so cool
#jackiebaseball25
Wow lily that is nice that you found a fossil of a dino footprint
Rina
Why is this happening!!
RaptorMax
wow
sean-tanigaki
cool
Lilith
I love this but could u put more of the animal types please
filip and jasim
The Army Turtle Timy
Mind blown
Aroush
Amazing work Lily! I am so surprised that a 4 year-old was able to find a fossil! Great Job!
Amazing
turtle
Noice
H
Cool
James Charles
HI SISTERSS!!!
haowenwang
I have found a fossil before
Monty
WOW that's incredible it says its in a beach? How could a 4 year old find such a such a thing?
yiqingl8
hi
hailee
wow that is crazy
I can't believe it.
Ella
this is amazing
hamiz
yes
quietbunny12345
Charlie damelio
wow
idk
wow
AWSEM
Christie
I can't believe it.
littl, nas x
OMG
Me
WOW!!!!!!
That is so cooooool!
monkeys are the best.
EPIC!!!
xavier
crazy good
WOW! that is A-MA-ZING!
Clodagh
WOW
Elizabeth
never found a fossil.
ben banana
cool
Kanishk
Good job Lily!
Kanishk
Good job lily! Amazing discovery! COOL AND TOTALLY AWESOME!
Kanishk
That is super cool, good job lily! Nice discovery! Nice work! OMG, WOW, AMAZING, AWESOME!
Inara Gongora-Tunçer
WOW!
class USA
Wow that is unbelievable!
Evelyn S
This is my cousin, Lily Wilder, and I’m very proud of her!
kk
Alex Shen
I actrally have a question? I thought dinosaurs have gone extinct billions of years ago, but however the footprint is 200 millions old
DIONYSIS
I LIKE DINOSAURS VERY MACHT
elsa
m
Lizard boy
TahliaP
Omg
00ThePunisher00
Wow what an amzing discovey must be rlly rare to find though right guys??
amelia
so cool
carrick
It is so cool what type of spices is it?
Tiger Lover 10
Wow thats amazing! :)
pb and j girl
LOL
That is just so cool!
emir
lol
wow cool !!
i wish that we could learn about would war 2
Cece123
OH. MY. GOSH. So cool!
T
good
Wow!
^. .^
Whoah!! It's amazing she actually found that! This just proves how much history is buried beneath us, that we are yet to discover! That's why history is one of my fave subjects!!
Cool
zayd7
omg
Isaac Liang
Cool!
turtle.diamond
wowwwwwwwwwww
Ellie
Cool :)
Ellie
This it super cool since they were just having a walk on the beach i wish i was that lucky good job Lilly!
lol
cool
Good job Lily! Im proud of you.
alex
Nice discovery lily. ^_^
bob the builder
Wow, that is awesome I wish i could do that so I can be famous to just like lilly.
yarden gottlieb
i found a fossilized shark or sting ray egg at the beach
Eva
omg so cool!!!
its so interesting can you add more like this
Nice work Lily!
^_^
wow! so cool! owo uwu
Annie
Well done Lilly so cool
Rosa
Awesome
in what year did the fossil was found?
Dan
What year was it found? Well done Lily good spotting
Dan
Amazing
olivia
so cool
2021
Wow good job lily
Hi
lovelyhuggles
so cool
yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey
Vivan Patel
cool
vicky
in what year did the fossil was found?
Ayaat.zerin
Thats very interesting can u add more like this?
maddy
cool
what
Yes
DANIELLEVIMUNOZPEREZ
Que color Lo encontro una niña de 4 años
GeorgieGiraffe
Well done Lilly! It doesn’t matter what age you are you can follow your dreams!
GeorgieGiraffe
It doesn’t matter what age you are you can discover anything!
55888
wooowww
jonathan
that is so cool where
Albert
Wowza!!
Wow, thats a young age to find a dinosaur fossil
Syed Zunair Aakif
I will Find million million year old fossils
KnownRat
that's so epic
Wow dinosaurs are so cool!!!
John
Ooooooh!
Jack foster
Cool fossil
,kjhbnkjhnblkj
h
Bella
woow
wow
wooowowowooww cool
Tara
Bow-to-the-wow
creative girl
wow well done lily
MysticLover27
cool
Ava
WOWZA!!!!!!!!!!
Alex
Wow
Emylia
Wow, so cool I wonder if I could find one.
lunar
no cooolll
Anni
Did they get money for their amazing find?
Leo
I WANT TO DO IT TO!
Super sloth
amazing
Shomamatsuura
I want to do it too!
wird boy
wird
well done
I found one on my holiday
Roar
Jessica t.
Wow that’s amazing ❤️ It
zeke
reading they are so cool i can bally contan my self
coolkid
what! a 4 year old found a dino footprint
Kutekoala001
Wow!
Kutekoala001
Amazing! That is REALLY good well done Lily!
Ninja 10 reply IKR I can’t even manage to find jungkook banana milk and there she is finding dinosaurs
#Animal❤️
monkey
awesome... very interesting too
#xoxNaturelove❤️Xox#
That is so cool
Andrew
Awesome! I love dinos!
zeller
How come they get to find that and you and i are siting at home or school whith mask on amagin being 4 and finding a dinasoir foot print
zeller
so cool
TKmonkey
That’s amazing! LOL LOL LOL
MiaM
Yes I found a fossil on an old train line it was of a shell my dad sent a photo of it to the museum of natural history {i keeped the fossil obs}
Izzy
I’ve never found a fossil but, would love to! Great job Lily!!
chloe
VihanaP
So Awesome!
kaya
this is so cool i can't believe that a little girl found a dinosaur footprint and she is only 4. WELL DONE!!!
Cool
erin
cool find
whow this kid is amazing.
Amazing
Fynn
Amazing
Ellie
Awsome!
Bubbles...1232
LOL
Alicja
How did a 4 year old do that
Hi
ItzSlaped
WOW. she found something amazing!
Wow that is sick
wow
the boss
Tristan
Nope no fossils 4 me
Mimmi
well done great work Lilly
Mimmi
wow lily that is great work
BAXTERDOG659
cool
GABBY
Irzem
Wow
nancy g
wow that's amazing!!!!! I've got about 100 fossils and most of them ! found
richard
Pancack queen
THAT IA SOOOOOOOOOO COOL
bingbong
Astonishing!
orlah
abi-may
who that is amazing so cool well done lily that is amazing
Anna
Wow
,,
Donnacha
I did not know that
Donnacha
Rowena
Once I found a fossil but then it randomly disappeared and I was devastated!
Lucy
Carisa
Wow
hot dog
so cool
hot dog
wicked
hacking gamer
WHY DOES SHE GET TO SEE IT REALY WELL IVE ONLY found a preserved really tiny winsy bone of a t rex
Larry
wow nice
Hermione2009
Wow that's amazing!
wow
wow
Queenosei2020
amusing
Clea
Hi im clea
Mr what's my name
Cool, I like the fact. What Dino was it? Looks like a preaditor.
LaurieBear
WOW, amazing find!
Fleur
AMAZING!!
ninja10
HOW COME THEY GET TO SEE DINO FOOTPRINTS AND WE ALL CANT GO NOT EVEN YOU OR ME!!SAD TIMES,SAD TIMES!!!!!!!!
ninja10
HOW COME THEY GET TO SEE DINO FOOTPRINTS AND NO YOU OR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Druvi
Cool
Jess
epic
Thats so cool!
Bora_Yıldırım
lily
I love dinosaurs!
Rad ruf
Ohhhhhhh
Charlotte
LOL
Amazing! I can't believe that this kid is only 4 years old!
Connor
That is so cool.
hawk
awesome
KG The Fun
COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bethany
I like this website
WOW thats lucky for her
joe
wow
lucca
hi joseph
lucca
barney
I found some fossils
Mr someone
Great interesting book Loved reading it
Hh55331
Cool
Lucky
So lucky
Wow ,cool
Aadya
OH MY GOD THAT HAS TO BE THE MOST AWESOME THING EVER
ADY
4years old and you found a dino footprint! COOL!!!
ADY
4 years old and you found a dino footprint! Cool!!!
WOW!
Joseph
very very lucky
lyra
that would be so cool!!!
Cailee
shes so lucky!!!
she has a very good eye
Cailee
Lily's only four and she found a dinosaur footprint wow she's so lucky!!!
noah
this is cool
Yarhard6574
I found a lot of dinosaur fossils lol
that is so cool
https://www.natgeokids.com/wp-content/themes/natgeokids/images/badges/4.png
aldrown27
???????
that is so nice she is one lucky kid in the world but how she is only 4 years old! man i wish i could find one.
Cats4425
I wish I could find a prehistoric dinosaur footprint! That is one lucky toddler. Good job lily. :) so good I am surprised
jackson
hi
I found a fossil in alberta
MANGO
YES!!!
aldrown
that is amazing!
me
wow!!!
Very cool like the stuff on this website.
awesome!!!
cool
Cool
Miriam
Awesome
Wow lily ! Great work
Lava Girl
Cool
That must’ve been so cool , I wish I found one , she is like SO LUCKY !
lena
wow so cool how did you find it?
Jaxon
well i want to
Charlote
Hope you find more
eli
hi
i wish i found one
Scott
SO LUCKY!
Wonderful 7
Amelie
COOL
Amelie
Cool
???
That is one lucky toddler!
davina
cool
Grayson
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow amazing super I bet it helped the scientists
Wow, that's amazing. I wish I could find a prehistoric dinosaur footprint!
Alice
Amazing I heard about it on the news but this is a much closer look! It really is a roarsome discovery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Abdullah
Cool
orangutan girl
love this
Josh
Yay
increible nunca lo imagine
Frances
What an ace find! I think it’s super cool!
Well done
tim
good job lilly
qwq
oooooo noice
qwq
ooo
qwq
ooo
MillyMopHead
cool
MillyMopHead
wow
Awesome :)
ayrton
wowzers ! she's only four!
blabla
What an amazing find she's only four years old well done lilly
nice
Sophia
Wow!!!
flora
cool
Zifeng
So good I'm surprised!!!
YAY!
LOVE IT
COOL!!!!!
Wow
Wow
patrycja
hi
coco
wow
COOL!
I wish i found one
Cool
Benjie Lightoller
She is so lucky!
well done!
Noice
Dinosaur Lover
Wow! What an amazing discovery.
Unknown
GREAT
Isla
That is amazing! I want to find one!
KT
Well Done!
Love it well done!
Dominic
Kane
Amazing find Lily.
Logan
Love it, Well Done Lily!!
sharkie boi
nice!
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