Mary Anning
Mary has the power to turn any material, or person, into a fossil.
Get to know
Mary was born in a small town in England were she gained her superpower after being hit by lightning. She is powerful, and is a born leader, however, despite her abilities, Mary's powers are temporary which can lead to her finding herself in difficult situations more often than not.
The background of Mary's Top Quarkz card is the Golden Cap outcrop, the very same background can be found in the 1842 Portrait of Mary Anning.
Mary had a lucky escape when she was a baby. The woman carrying her was struck by lightning.
THE DRAWING'S HIDDEN TREASURES
SCIENCE SUPERHERO IDENTITY
In this fact-file find out why we turned Mary into a Superhero
The Mesozoic Era is an interval of geological time from about 252 million years ago. It is also called the Age of Reptiles.
Mary's discoveries included the first Ichthyosaur skeleton. These were large marine reptiles that lived 250 million years ago.
As children, Mary and her brother Joseph went fossil hunting to supplement the family's income.
TOP QUARKZ CARD EXPLAINED
What killed the dinosaurs? Evidence suggests an asteroid impact was the main culprit.
Born: 1799
Died: 1847
Occupation: Palaeontologist
Died: 1847
Occupation: Palaeontologist
Mary Anning
TRUE IDENTITY
Mary Anning's discoveries were some of the most significant geological finds of all time. Find out more in this video from the Lyme Regis Museum.
Video credit: Lyme Regis Museum
Later, she discovered a Plesiosaur fossil which helped to prove how living creatures had evolved and supported the theory of evolution. Anning died at the age of 47 in 1847. Charles Dickens wrote of her "The carpenter's daughter has won a name for herself, and has deserved to win it."
Mary hunted for fossils on the beaches of her home town of Lyme Regis (England). She was just 12 when she found her first fossil.
Stephen Jay Gould
Mary is probably the most important unsung collecting force in the history of paleontology..
WHAT'S A PALAEONTOLOGIST?
Paleontologists study all fossilised past life. These might be bones or plants even very old poop. They use their knowledge of fossils to get a better idea of how life on Earth has changed over different periods of time.
Most palaeontologists specialise in one particular area, such as invertebrates (animals that don't have a backbone), vertebrates (animals with a spinal cord), palaeobotany (fossilised plants), or micropalaeontology (microscopic remains of animals).
Most palaeontologists specialise in one particular area, such as invertebrates (animals that don't have a backbone), vertebrates (animals with a spinal cord), palaeobotany (fossilised plants), or micropalaeontology (microscopic remains of animals).
Video credit: SciShow Kids
Without fossils, we wouldn't know about dinosaurs.
A nest of fossil remains from 15 baby dinosaurs was discovered.
Ichthyosaurs (Greek for "fish lizard") were large extinct marine reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic era.
What's an Ichthyosaur?
DID YOU KNOW ?
Fossils are the remains of dead plants and animals that get trapped and preserved for long periods of time.
What's a Fossil?
Video credit: National Geographic
Video credit: National History Museum, UK
Mary Anning , the Fossil Hunter was just 12 when she found her first fossil.
Want to find out more about Mary?
Video credit: BBC
Fossilised poop is called coprolites. Scientists found bits of crushed bones in a T-Rex's poop.
The oldest fossils are bacteria. Scientists found the fossilised remains of byproducts produced by ancient bacteria.
Check out these fun facts!
Want to discover more? Why not read a book about Mary and learn more her life, or dive into the world of our science superheroes
Mary also features in our giant colouring poster: Fetter's Chaos
Discover our free educational resources and activities
Mary Anning (History VIPs) - by Kay Barnham
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