"Dad, look!" This sentence, spoken a million times by children around the world, has now caused a minor sensation in Great Britain - and has given four-year-old Lily Wilder recognition from paleontologists.
As the BBC reports, little Lily discovered a striking pattern in a boulder while walking on the beach at Bendricks Bay near the Welsh town of Barry.
She called her father over.
The imprint in the rock looked like a bird's claw, but was significantly larger.
Father Richard took a photo of the print, which was eventually sent by Lily's mother to a Facebook group of fossil experts and eventually to a paleontologist at the National Museum of Wales.
The result: Lily discovered the footprint of an approximately 75 centimeter tall dinosaur that lived around 220 million years ago.
The broadcaster ITV published a photo of the surprise find on Twitter.
The imprint was apparently preserved over the millennia through thick layers of mud.
While the area is known for fossil finds, Lily's find is "the finest specimen ever found on this beach," according to paleontologist Cindy Howells of the National Museum of Wales.
According to the BBC, there are similarities to traces of the Coelophysis dinosaur that have already been found in the United States.
This is a comparatively small genus of carnivorous dinosaurs that moved on two legs.
"The spectacular state of preservation could help scientists to learn more about the structure of their feet, because the print even allows conclusions to be drawn about the paws and claw marks," said a statement from the Welsh National Museum.
The impression has now been saved and is to be stored in the museum.
The find also seems to have sparked enthusiasm with Lily - but not for the rather unknown Coelophysis.
When asked which dinosaur she liked best, the four-year-old replied confidently: "The T-Rex".
Icon: The mirror
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