Mary Anning
British fossil collector and palaeontologist (1799-1847) · United Kingdom · On the map · Died at 47
Mary Anning was an English fossil collector, dealer, and palaeontologist. She became known internationally for her discoveries in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Channel at Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset, South West England.
Mary Anning is read about 823 times a day, in 60 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 12 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 400 days, one point a day.
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Lyme Regis, Dorset
Blue plaque where Mary Anning was born and had her first fossil shop, now the Lyme Regis Museum
1842 sketch of Anning's house
Blue Lias cliffs, Lyme Regis
The Jurassic coast at Charmouth, Dorset, where the Annings made some of their finds. The hill in the background is Golden Cap.![Drawing from an 1814 paper[18] by Everard Home showing the skull of Temnodontosaurus platyodon (previously Ichthyosaurus platyodon) (NHMUK PV R 1158) found by Joseph Anning in 1811](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/AnningIchthyosaurSkull.jpg/500px-AnningIchthyosaurSkull.jpg)
Drawing from an 1814 paper[18] by Everard Home showing the skull of Temnodontosaurus platyodon (previously Ichthyosaurus platyodon) (NHMUK PV R 1158) found by Joseph Anning in 1811
Letter and drawing from Mary Anning announcing the discovery of a fossil animal now known as Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus (specimen NHMUK OR PV 22656), 26 December 1823About this person
Anning's findings contributed to changes in scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the Earth.
Country
United Kingdom
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1799 to 1847 · aged 47