Heroes - Lives to Learn From
June
Heroism and Humor Lives and Laughter Wisdom and Wit
Mary Anning 1799 – 1847
A life to learn from, paleontologist Mary Anning was a self-taught wonder. As the daughter of a British cabinetmaker on England's southwestern coast, young Mary loved hunting for fossil remains with her family. Her home in Lyme Regis yielded rich rewards. The area was noted for its Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone Cliffs, which after winter storms exposed "curios," interesting fossil remains ranging from ammonites to belemnites. Her brother Joseph found a noteworthy four-foot skull, but it was twelve-year-old Mary, who dug up the first intact Ichthyosaur skeleton. At age twenty-four, she unearthed an entire Plesiosaur skeleton -- both of these remains of the Jurassic period (200 million years ago). At a time when scholars were just beginning to grapple with pre-historic time, Mary pioneered, reading every scientific paper she could find and copying many of them by hand. She set up a shop to sell her finds and developed friendships with some of the world's leading paleontologists. Because she was a woman (and of working class origins), Mary Anning was not even considered for membership in British geological societies, but she nonetheless became famous for her work. Our biographies below spotlight her wonder, perseverance, resourcefulness, and just plain hard work in the face of lots of adversity.
A life to learn from, paleontologist Mary Anning was a self-taught wonder. As the daughter of a British cabinetmaker on England's southwestern coast, young Mary loved hunting for fossil remains with her family. Her home in Lyme Regis yielded rich rewards. The area was noted for its Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone Cliffs, which after winter storms exposed "curios," interesting fossil remains ranging from ammonites to belemnites. Her brother Joseph found a noteworthy four-foot skull, but it was twelve-year-old Mary, who dug up the first intact Ichthyosaur skeleton. At age twenty-four, she unearthed an entire Plesiosaur skeleton -- both of these remains of the Jurassic period (200 million years ago). At a time when scholars were just beginning to grapple with pre-historic time, Mary pioneered, reading every scientific paper she could find and copying many of them by hand. She set up a shop to sell her finds and developed friendships with some of the world's leading paleontologists. Because she was a woman (and of working class origins), Mary Anning was not even considered for membership in British geological societies, but she nonetheless became famous for her work. Our biographies below spotlight her wonder, perseverance, resourcefulness, and just plain hard work in the face of lots of adversity.
The Fossil Girl. Catherine Brighton. Frances Lincoln's Children's Books, 2007.
(K-3) 
The Dog Who Dug For Dinosaurs. Shirley Raye Redmond. Illustrated by Simon Sullivan. Simon Spotlight, 2004. (1-3)
Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon. Jeannine Atkins. Illustrated by Michael Dooling. CreateSpace, 2012. (1-4)
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Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning. Linda Skeers. Illustrated by Mata Alvarez Miguens. Sourcebooks Explore, 2020. (1-4)
Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries. Don Brown. HMH, 1999. (2-3)
Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life. Cheryl Blackford. HMH, 2022. (5-6)
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