Scientist: Mary Anning

The cliffs where Mary lived were rich in spectacular fossils from the seas of the Jurassic period

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Mary's father tragically died in 1810. He left his family in debt and with no source of income. Fortunately he taught his children how to hunt for fossils.

Regardless of Mary Anning’s humble beginnings, she was able to gain the respect and imagination of the scientific community of her time. She became the first honorary member of the new Dorset County Museum.

The Anning family lived in poverty. Their only source of income was selling fossils until the early 1820s.

Hardship

Mary Anning discovered the first plesiosaur skeleton. At first there were doubts about the validity of the specimen. Once it was considered a genuine find, the Annings became, "legitimate and respected fossilists in the eyes of the scientific community".

Referenceshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/famouspeople/mary_anning/http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/anning.htmlhttp://www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk/collection/mary-anning/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDEYD-Jk_Hk

Nine years before her death she was given an annuity, or annual payment, raised by members of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Geological Society of London.

Mary died from breast cancer in 1847. Her death was recorded by the Geological Society even though they did not officially admit women until 1904.

Mary Anning(1799-1847)Mary Anning was born near the southern shores of Great Britain. She was not a traditional scientist but her discoveries changed science. She was not only a fossil collector but was very knowledgeable in the scientific understanding of her collection. Over time she won the respect of many scientists.Her discoveries were important in reconstructing the world's past.

Mary Anning and her brother have been credited with the discovery of the first complete ichthyosaur dinosaur skeleton.

Discoveries

The majority of Mary's fossils ended up in museums and personal collections without recognition. A major part of her lack of accreditation was her social status and gender. At that point in history there were many scientists that could not believe that a “young woman from such a deprived background could posses the knowledge and skills that she seemed to display”.

Influence

What if Mary Anning had the tools and technology we have today, how much more do you think she could have attributed to science?