Mary Anning is recognized for her extraordinary contributions to the field of paleontology in the 19th century. She is acknowledged as the first paleontologist, specializing in the search for fossils that shook the scientific community.
Mary Anning was born in the coastal resort town of Lyme Regis, England, in 1799.
Approximately 200 million years ago [during the Jurassic period], Lyme Regis was submerged under a warm sea teeming with prehistoric life, according to Hakai Magazine. Eventually, the sea receded, exposing soft sedimentary rocks, and the remains of marine creatures buried on the seabed gradually turned into stone. Over time, parts of the seabed eroded, forming cliffs. Each wave or fierce storm continued to erode the cliffs, revealing countless fossils.
To this day, it is uncertain whether Anning’s parents, Richard and Molly, were aware of this when they moved to Lyme Regis. Shelley Emling, who wrote a biography of Anning titled “Fossil Hunter: Dinosaurs, Evolution, and the Woman Whose Discoveries Changed the World” (St. Martin’s Press, 2009), states that her father, Richard, chose Lyme Regis for its potential to attract wealthy tourists seeking to enjoy the seaside. He often sold small fossils to tourists looking for souvenirs from their vacations. When Anning was six years old, she frequently accompanied her father, helping him search for, excavate, and clean fossils.
Mary Anning and the complete skeleton of a snake-headed lizard she discovered. (Photo: Katherine).
Tragedy struck when Richard passed away on November 5, 1810. Emling writes that his death was due to tuberculosis and a fall from the treacherous cliffs at Lyme Regis. The Anning family’s life became increasingly difficult. Additionally, the Annings were among the dissenters, or those who separated from the Church of England. This was one of the reasons her later research achievements were often overlooked and unrecognized.
According to Emling, it is unclear what motivated Anning to return to the beaches after her father’s death. Perhaps she loved fossils, or she wanted to continue the family business as before. Shortly thereafter, she discovered a large ammonite. A tourist bought it from her at a high price.
When Anning realized she could earn money for her family through fossil hunting, she began to go to the sea more frequently.
In 1811, Anning discovered a fossil that astonished contemporary scientists. The fossil, measuring 5.2 meters long and containing 60 vertebrae, took Anning several months to excavate with the help of her brother. At that time, rumors spread in Lyme Regis that she had found a monster. Part of its body resembled a fish, while another part was similar to a crocodile. Such a creature had never been known before. Ultimately, the scientific community named it the ichthyosaur, or fish lizard. Anning’s specimen was the first complete skeleton of this species.
“I do not believe it is a fish when compared to other fish species. Its body structure is very different from the usual anatomy,” wrote Everard Home, an English surgeon, about the fish lizard fossil when describing it in the journal The Royal Society in 1814.
Anning’s discovery left many contemporary scientists bewildered as they believed in creationism, denying evolution or extinction. It is important to note that Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in his book “On the Origin of Species” was only published 48 years later.
Anning sold the fish lizard fossil to a wealthy collector for 23 pounds. At that time, this amount was sufficient to support her family for six months. Shortly after, the collector donated the specimen to a private museum. Later, the fossil was displayed at the British Museum and eventually at the Natural History Museum in London, where today only a skull remains.
Anning continued to hunt for fossils in the years that followed. Between 1815 and 1819, she found several more complete fish lizard skeletons. They were sent to local museums or became specimens for university lectures. Some male lecturers presenting their theories on the anatomy or origins of the fish lizard during lectures often failed to mention the woman who found, excavated, and cleaned the fossils. This made them famous while ignoring Anning’s contributions.
Anning’s next significant discovery sparked even more debate than her first. In 1823, she discovered a complete skeleton of a plesiosaurus, a four-limbed marine reptile that is now extinct. In 1828, she found the first pterosaur fossil. This was a winged reptile that lived during the age of dinosaurs.
The statue of Anning erected along the coast of Lyme Regis on May 21, 2022. Her contributions have finally been recognized.
Throughout her career, Anning continued to discover numerous extinct fish as well as other marine organisms. She and British researcher William Buckland were pioneers in the study of coprolite. Her remarkable discoveries paved the way for modern paleontology.
Harriet Silvester, a wealthy woman living in London, wrote in her diary after visiting Anning in 1824: “Although Anning did not have formal education, she has a solid knowledge of fossils. She is capable of conversing and discussing with professors and other intelligent men, and they all acknowledge that she knows more about the subject than anyone else.”
Anning’s extensive knowledge came from her habit of voracious reading. She often borrowed scientific materials from libraries and carefully copied them by hand to keep her own copies. She also frequently reproduced original drawings. Zoologist Christopher McGowan once wrote in an article: “I find it very difficult to distinguish the original from Anning’s copies.”
Anning died of breast cancer in 1847 at the age of 47. The Geological Society of London published her obituary, marking the first time they honored a non-member.
In the centuries that followed, Mary Anning’s contributions to paleontology were finally recognized and celebrated.
Her work paved the way for future generations of female scientists. Anning is regarded as a pioneer in paleontology, and her discoveries played a significant role in shaping contemporary understanding of prehistoric life and the history of the Earth.
| Interestingly, Mary Anning inspired the tongue-twister that any English learner finds “haunting”: “She sells seashells by the seashore.” Anning is believed to be the central figure in this saying. |
