Contents
Mary Anning
Uncovering marine-reptile fossils that changed understanding of prehistoric life.
Ichthyosaur skeleton · Plesiosaur skeleton
- Born
- 21 May 1799
- Birthplace
- Lyme Regis, England
- Died
- 9 March 1847
More people
Mary Anning
Mary Anning was an English fossil collector and dealer whose discoveries supplied evidence about extinct animals. Working on dangerous coastal cliffs, she developed expertise despite exclusion from formal scientific institutions.
Early life
Family trade
Learned fossil collecting from her father on the Dorset coast.
Self-education
Studied anatomy and scientific writing while helping support her family.
Career
- 1810s
Fossil selling
Began making major discoveries while earning money from specimens.
- 1820s
Expert collector
Located marine reptiles and advised visiting scientists.
- 1830s–1840s
Scientific network
Continued collecting and exchanging information with geologists.
Expeditions & discoveries
Ichthyosaur skeleton
Excavated the skeleton after her brother Joseph found its skull.
Plesiosaur skeleton
Discovered a remarkably complete long-necked marine reptile.
Pterosaur
Found a flying-reptile fossil outside Germany.
Beyond work
Institutional barriers
As a woman, could not join the Geological Society of London.
Dangerous work
Landslides on the fossil cliffs repeatedly threatened her safety.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Credited to 'Mr. Grey' in Crispin Tickell's book 'Mary Anning of Lyme Regis' (1996). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
