Mary Anning

PALEONTOLOGIST
Self-taught, she helped PROVE the theory of evolution
Born into a poor family, she and her brother helped their father find fossils embedded in the dangerous cliffs near their house, which they then sold to tourists
After her father died when she was 11, she took over the family business
Discovered the FIRST plesiosaur, the FIRST partial pterosaur, and one of the FIRST ichthyosaurs
Also helped figure out that bezoars are fossilized dinosaur poop
Despite her lack of formal education, Anning became a respected fossil collector by those in the scientific community -- although they never credited her when they referenced fossils she had discovered in their papers
Anning's discoveries provided crucial proof that life on Earth hadn't always been the same
The "She sells seashells" tongue-twister is thought to have been written about her

Painting credited to Mr. Grey, in Crispin Tickell's book "Mary Anning of Lyme Regis" (1996) [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography: Doyle, Caitlin. Girls Can Do Anything: From Sports to Innovation, Art to Politics, Meet Over 200 Women Who Got There First. Buffalo: Firefly Books, 2016. Print.
Ignotofsky, Rachel. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World. New York: Ten Speed Press, 2016. Print.

Support these organizations dedicated to preserving her story:

Lyme Regis Museum
The Natural History Museum

Biographies for Kids and Young Adults

Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning

(picture book)

Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries

(picture book)

Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist

(picture book)

Research

Jurassic Mary: Mary Anning and the Primeval Monsters

Historical Fiction

Spread the word!

drinking glass featuring Mary Anning image

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