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Mary Anning: First Fossil Hunter



Smack! Smash! Splash! In 1799, Mary Anning was born to the sound of ocean waves crashing against the cliffs of Lyme Regis, England. When Mary was just a few years old, she and her older brother, Joseph, would go to the town's seashore with her father. Here Mary's father taught his children how to hunt for fossils in the rocks and cliffs. At this time, scientists were just beginning to understand fossils, or the remains of plants and animals that lived long, long ago. Wealthy visitors would come to Lyme Regis to vacation. The Anning family had little money, so they would sell the small fossils they found to these tourists.


Mary was a quiet girl. Some might say that in Mary's case still, waters run deep because she was also bright, curious, and a hard worker who spent long days on the beach looking for fossils. She needed to help her family survive. Life was hard and when it rains, it pours. Soon, Mary's father died. Although she was only 10, Mary was forced to quit school, and now she needed to work even harder to find fossils to sell. Because of unstable cliffs, battering waves, and sudden storms, Mary had to be bold and daring. It was dangerous work.


But one day, something happened to show that every cloud has a silver lining. When Mary was about 12, Joseph made a fantastic find. He found a large fossil skull that had a long nose and many teeth.


First, Mary planned how to uncover the rest of the creature. Then, over several months, she unearthed each part of the fossil. Since haste makes waste, Mary did not want to hurry and damage the fossil. She chiseled and chipped slowly, tapping and brushing carefully. Finally, Mary uncovered an almost complete skeleton of a prehistoric creature. A wealthy neighbor bought the fossils and later scientists named the creature ichthyosaur, or fish-lizard.


The discovery of the ichthyosaur called attention to Mary as a fossil hunter, but her family was still poor. Mary continued to uncover fossils to sell. Even though she had little formal schooling, Mary knew how to read and write. During her teenage years, Mary taught herself about rocks, animals, fish, and the earth. She wrote letters to well-known scientists. Some scientists came to visit her in Lyme Regis.


About 11 years after finding ichthyosaur, Mary made another astonishing discovery. She dug out another reptile that had lived in the sea, the first complete plesiosaur. The plesiosaur was nine feet long with a lizard's head and crocodile teeth. Scientists called the long-necked plesiosaur the sea dragon. This was followed by her discovery of the rare fossil of the flying dragon, pterodactyl.


With each discovery, Mary's fame grew. Visitors followed her on fossil hunts, and scientists combed the beach with her. Throughout her life, Mary looked for fossils. She was one of the first persons to make a living as a fossil hunter. Mary helped solve the puzzle of what life was like long ago.


After her death in 1847, Mary was honored with a stained-glass window in the church of Lyme Regis. Many of the fossils Mary Anning uncovered are still studied and displayed in museums.


Select the best summary of “Marie Anning: First Fossil Hunter.”


A.

Mary Anning taught herself to read and write, and she very much enjoyed going to the beach and playing in the waves. Although she was very quiet, Mary was also known to be bold and enjoy danger. Mary and her brother, Joseph, lived in Lyme Regis, where she found many fossils.


B.

Mary and Joseph Anning enjoyed playing in the ocean near their hometown, Lyme Regis. Mary was even born to the sound of the ocean waves smacking against the rocks. Unfortunately, Joseph and Mary's father passed away, so the children had to help the family earn more money. They would look for fossils. Much of the family's income came from selling fossils to the wealthy tourists that would often visit, but then Mary started to find dinosaur fossils.


C.

Mary Anning lived in Lyme Regis and was taught to find fossils by her father as a way to help support her family. Mary's curiosity and patience helped her to uncover the skeleton of an ichthyosaur. Mary went on to study and would write to scientists. Eventually, Mary uncovered the very first complete plesiosaur and later also the first pterodactyl fossil. Mary made a living as a fossil hunter, and her discoveries are still honored today.


D.

Mary Anning was a fossil hunter. In order to uncover a fossil, one must remember that haste makes waste, meaning that rushing will only destroy important pieces of a fossil. Mary uncovered the first pterodactyl, as well as many other prehistoric creatures. Although fossil hunting is a fun and interesting hobby, not many scientists can make a living as a fossil hunter. Mary succeeded.