Mary Anning, Fossil Hunter

Mary Anning was born on May 21, 1799 in Lyme Regis along the Dorset Coast of England to Richard and Mary Anning. She had one living sibling, a brother Joseph. Eight other siblings died in infancy. As a young child, Mary was struck by lightning but survived. Three other people, including the woman who was holding her, were killed.

As children, she and Joseph hunted fossils along the Lyme Bay under the dangerous high cliffs. Her father had a woodworking business and a storefront shop where they sold the "curiosities" or "curies" they collected from the seashore. In 1810, Richard Anning, Mary's father died and her family was left to fend for themselves and lived hand to mouth. Mary and her brother continued to collect ammonites and belemnites, among other finds, from the seashore to sell to tourists who visited the Lyme region.

In 1811, Joseph and Mary discovered what they thought were the skull and almost complete skeleton of a crocodile. This "creature" was a major find, which put Mary on the map as a serious fossil hunter after it was sold to local Lord Henry Hoste Henley who then sold it to William Bullock to display in the Museum of Natural Curiosities in London.

The "crocodile" was later named Ichthyosaurus, which means fish lizard. Mary's reputation as an expert fossil hunter was further enhanced when a sale of specimens at auction by Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas James Birch brought £400. This money was donated to the Anning family. The publicity brought Mary fame and respect from scientists who worked with her to discover more geologic finds.

Another of Mary's discoveries was that ink from squid-like belemnites could be ground to use as drawing ink.

Mary Anning died in Lyme Regis in 1847 from breast cancer.

Source: Natural History Museum, United Kingdom
Photo Credit: Gaius Cornelius 18:06, 14 August 2006 (UTC), in the public domain.