The footprints were first discovered at the Penarth beach in southern Wales by a random beachgoer in 2020, which she later sent to scientists at the Natural History Museum in London to examine. At first, scientists thought they were just part of the "geological process" of the beach and were skeptical they could be footprints, but further evaluation suggested they were actually dinosaur tracks from the late Triassic period, just when dinosaurs began to reign supreme on Earth. The footprints were discovered along a 164-foot long area, and although they were "poorly preserved," the rims of the prints in a consistent, space-out length were proof they were prints of a walking animal. A team of French scientists examining the site in 2010 also helped confirm the footprints. At the time, photos of the prints had "less weathering" and showed toe marks, proving it was an ancient animal. The findings were published in the journal Geological Magazine on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Peter Falkingham.