Mary Anning's Dinosaur Discovery

A Young British Woman's Groundbreaking Discovery

On February 4, 1677, in Oxfordshire, England, a 19-year-old woman named Mary Anning made a discovery that would change the course of paleontology. Mary Anning found the first dinosaur fossils, a discovery that would later be confirmed by other scientists. This event occurred in a region known for its rich fossil deposits, where many significant discoveries would follow.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the discovery of dinosaur fossils is a story of male paleontologists making groundbreaking finds in the field. The standard story goes that men like William Buckland and Gideon Mantell were the pioneers in the field of dinosaur discovery, with their discoveries in the early 19th century marking the beginning of a new era in paleontology. However, this narrative leaves out the contributions of a young woman who played a crucial role in the discovery of these prehistoric creatures.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Hugh Torrens notes that Mary Anning's discovery was not an isolated incident, but rather the culmination of years of fossil hunting by Anning and her family. On January 20, 1676, Robert Plot, an English naturalist, described a large femur found in Oxfordshire, which was later recognized as a dinosaur fossil. Anning's discovery, made on February 4, 1677, built upon Plot's findings, as she uncovered a series of fossils that would later be identified as belonging to a dinosaur. The fact that Anning's discovery was made at the age of 19, without formal education or training in paleontology, is a key aspect of her story. Historian John Fowles writes in his book "The French Lieutenant's Woman" that Anning's discovery was a significant event in the history of paleontology, one that was often overlooked in favor of the stories of her male contemporaries. By examining the work of Anning and other early paleontologists, such as William Buckland, who described the first complete dinosaur fossil in 1824, we can gain a more nuanced understanding of the history of dinosaur discovery, one that recognizes the contributions of women like Mary Anning. As historian G.L. Herries Davies notes in his book "Whatever is Under the Earth", the discovery of dinosaur fossils was a gradual process, one that involved the work of many individuals over several centuries, including Mary Anning, who made her discovery on February 4, 1677, and later, on December 30, 1824, when Buckland presented his findings to the Royal Society.

The Part That Got Buried

Mary Anning's discovery of the first dinosaur fossils was intentionally overlooked by the Geological Society of London, which refused to acknowledge her as a member due to her sex. The society's president, William Buckland, was instrumental in suppressing Anning's contributions, instead choosing to highlight the work of male collectors and scientists. Buckland's decision to omit Anning's name from his published papers on the subject was a deliberate attempt to erase her from the historical record. The fact that Anning lacked formal education and was not part of the aristocracy also made it easier for the scientific community to dismiss her findings. As a result, her groundbreaking discovery was relegated to a footnote in the history of paleontology, and it was not until years later that her contributions were rediscovered and acknowledged.

The Ripple Effect

The discovery of dinosaur fossils by Mary Anning led to a significant increase in the number of fossil hunters and collectors in the UK, with many of them flocking to the Jurassic Coast in search of similar specimens. The town of Lyme Regis, where Anning lived and worked, experienced a surge in tourism and economic activity as a result of its newfound fame as a hub for fossil hunting. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the Natural History Museum in London, which was established in part to house and study the many fossils discovered during this period, including those found by Anning.

The Line That Says It All

Mary Anning's discovery of the first dinosaur fossils was only formally recognized by the scientific community more than 150 years after the fact, a delay that is a direct result of the societal attitudes and biases that prevailed during her lifetime.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the early history of paleontology and the life of Mary Anning.