Mary Anning

          By: Christopher Allen Ellingsworth

Mary Anning (21 May 1799 - 9 Mar 1847) was a paleontologist in the early 19^th century in Lyme Regis, England. From humble beginnings, Anning would start as a simple girl collecting fossils and other curiosities to sell to tourists on the beach. Anning would move on to be a knowledgeable and respected paleontologist in her field, both respected by her peers and recognized by the major institutions of her time. 

Biography

Mary Anning was born in Lyme Regis of England in May of 1799. Anning’s father was a cabinet maker, but he was also considered a religious dissenter, which reflected on his entire family.  Out of ten children, only Mary and her brother survived. Most died in infancy or before the age of 5, and one sister had burned to death after her clothing caught fire. And as far as Mary goes, she was being held by a woman when she was a baby and lightning struck the tree the woman was under killing the woman and two others, but Mary survived.

            While the area their home was in was dangerous, (landslides, lightning strikes, etc...), it had its advantages. Mary's father enjoyed collecting fossils found on the beach among the rocks in his spare time. Over the years he became much better and began to teach his children about finding the fossils.  The children would search through the rocks on the hillside that were falling into the ocean. As the waves would cause fresh landslides, fresh batches of rock would be unearthed, revealing fossils that had been buried millions of years ago. This regular supply of fossils helped build a large demand for fossils and a renewed interest in them.

            Before Anning and her brother had reached puberty, their father died, leaving the family broke to fend for themselves. The stories of exactly how they made their first sale vary, but it is known that the family started to sell shells and fossils found on the beach to make ends meet. It would be Anning and her brother at first, wading out in the water and collecting rocks from the hillside, but eventually it would be Anning who was unearthing the fossils.

            These fossils they found and put together, would be sold to tourists or collectors or to anyone who came to the table they had set up outside of their home. The children were too young to know they were contributing to science and the discovery of new fossils, and many of those who did simply took credit for the discoveries themselves.

            The family carried on selling these fossils to make ends meet but couldn't keep up, and one day while selling their furniture to pay the bills, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas James Birch saw how they were struggling and decided to auction off his collection that he had bought from them and give them the proceeds. After that the family had a much better financial footing and a more recognized name. This helped them keep the business going for much longer.

            It would be Anning who would continue the business and become very knowledgeable in her field impressing even the best educated minds. But in the beginning she received little to know recognition as a paleontologist. Instead she was viewed by most to simply be a fossil collector and dealer, although she was unearthing and reassembling these fossils herself. 

It was due to her experiences in her personal life that her professional life had gone so far.  Anning had been able to study and practice her talent from a very young age, making paleontology not just a career but a lifelong commitment.

Contributions to STEM

Mary Anning was famous for unearthing the first ichthyosaur ever identified with her brother, Joseph.  This is a feat they accomplished at 11 and 12 years old walking the cliffside near their home. She had also discovered the first plesiosaur and pterosaur skeletons ever found. She would go on to make many new and exciting finds as well as more complete finds of specimens already known.  Her finds and the finds of her family would be a large contributor to the fledgling paleontology field.

            Anning made major contributions to paleontology while it was in its early stages, and made many discoveries that helped her field grow to where it is today. Annings mixture of skills, knowledge, and a great, while dangerous, location came together to make new discoveries and help the field advance.

Interesting Facts

•          Mary Anning was the first female paleontologist in the field.

•          The rhyme “She sells seashells on the seashore”, written by Terry Sullivan in1908, originated with her.

•          Mary Anning discovered that belemnites, (previously called "thunder stones”), were actually ancient preserved ink sacks. She then added water to the                preserved ink inside and used the ink in her own drawings of ancient animals. She asked her friend Henry De la Beche, (an artist of the area), to use the                ink in some paintings of animals that were alive during the era. They then sold these paintings to tourists.

•          Mary’s discoveries of so many fossils not only helped pave the way for paleontology today, but also create a high demand and geology-mania around the world.

•          The local legend was that Mary was exceptionally bright due to the lightning strike that nearly killed her when she was an infant.

•          Mary Anning was literate and well educated despite receiving little to no education, and she even taught herself geology and anatomy. While at the           same time many commoners of that time and place could not read or write.

Importance to 21^st Century STEM and Culture

The story of Mary Anning shows us that one’s skill and ability in sciences is not a question of gender, social status, where we were educated, or the degree we hang on our walls, but based on hard work, experience, and commitment to the science.  This is one of Annings contributions to modern day STEM culture and society that we should all remember and be attentive of.   

Works Cited

“Mary Anning (1799-1847).” Thedorsetpage.com. The Dorset Page, n.d. Web. 28 Jan 2014.

“Mary Anning.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Encyclopedia.com, 2004. Web. 28 Jan 2014.

Clary, Renee M. & Wandersee, James H.. “She’s More Than “Seller of Sea Shells at the SeaShore.”” American Biology Teacher Mar2006, Vol. 68 Issue 3, p153-157. 5p. . SPSUHive. Web. 3 Feb 2014.

“Mary Anning The First Woman Paleontologist.” Samowhamo.hubpages.com. HubPages, Inc. May 12, 2013. Web. Feb 2, 2014.

“Mary Anning (1799-1847).” ucmp.berkeley.edu. UCMP.Berkley.edu. n.d.. Web. 2 Feb 2014.