A paleontology student in the United Kingdom discovered the fossilized foot of a dinosaur, which experts believe may have belonged to the earliest ancestor of the Tyrannosaurus rex.
Sam Davies, a third year student at the University of Portsmouth, stumbled upon the preserved specimen while looking for dinosaur fossils on Penarth's Lavernock Beach.
Davies attributes the discovery to pure luck, stating that he spotted the dinosaur fossil on top of a piece of rock. He was able to identify that the specimen was that of fossilized toes or fingers, but he said that his first thought was that the fossil could have belonged to some species of plesiosaur.
Scientists who analyzed the dinosaur specimen said that it is the fossilized foot of a dinosaur known as a theropod whose remains had been unearthed after a cliff fall on Lavernock Beach in 2014.
It is believed that this theropod, which existed approximately 200 million years in the past, was the smaller cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex. Expert estimate that the dinosaur stood only at about 50 centimeters (19.6 inches) tall and had sharp serrated teeth that resembled a set of blades.
Davies, a resident of Bridgend in south Wales, said that his tutor had urged him to visit Lavernock Beach because of its cliffs that are well known for its deposits of Jurassic fossils.
Paleobiology expert and Davies' tutor at Portsmouth Dr. David Martill explained that the timing of the discovery was crucial. He said that if he had not assigned Davies to the project or if the cliff fall had not occurred the year before, the finding of the dinosaur fossil would not have been made.
"This was a chance in a million find and highlights how important it is to encourage fossil-hunting in this country," Martill said.
The senior academic added that the fossilized dinosaur foot will help researchers map its evolution by specifically studying the number of its toes as well as the nature of its ankle bone.
Davies donated the fossilized specimen to Wales' National Museum, where it will be placed on display together with the rest of the dinosaur's remains until the end of the month.
