MARY ANNING

THE GREATEST FOSSILLIST THE WORLD EVER KNEW!

Background information:

Mary Anning was born May, 21 1799. Her parents were Richard and Mary Anning of Lyme Regis. Richard and Mary had 10 children. Joseph and Mary were the only two that reached maturity. Joseph was only two years older than Mary. This made him 13 and her 11 when their father, Richard Anning died in 1810, leaving his family in debt. Yet, he passed on his fossil finding skills onto his wife and children.

The Anning family lived in poverty, selling fossils from Lyme Regis until the early 1820’s. Mary went through her life uneducated, witch surprised most people because she seemed to talk and find fossils very skillfully.

Fun Facts:

1. When Marry Anningwas one year old the women who was holding her was struck by lightning! The women died, yet Marry was fine. The family claimed that being struck made Marry become smarter and livelier.

2. Mary barley escaped a landslide that killed her dog. She also barley escaped being trampled by a run away cart.

Thomas Birch met the family and sympathized their financial predicament. So, he held an auction to sell all of fine fossils. He then donated the proceeds to the Anning family. Mother Mary had been running the fossil collecting business up to this point. But by the mid 1820’s daughter Mary had been known to have a very keen eye. Joseph no longer collected fossils.

Mary made many mind blowing discoveries! She made found the aforementioned ichthyosaur. Yet, possibly her most glorified find was her discovery of the first plesiosaur. Many scientists doubted Mary and her finds. Even to this day cannot believe that a young lady from such a poor background had the knowledge and skills she seemed to present.

Mary ended up dieing of breast cancer in her 40’s. she lived a short and often difficult life. But, her discoveries have been a vital source of reconstructing the world’s past and the history of its life., and we thank and remember her for that!

"mary anning (1799-1847)." mary anning (1799-1847). 9 June 1996.
                                    14 Feb. 2007
     http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/anning.html.

"marry
                                    anning." rocky road. July-Aug. 2005. 14 Feb. 2007
     <http://www.strangescience.net/anning.htm>.