| Mary Anning (1799-1847) was a British
fossil hunter who began finding{{U}} (21) {{/U}}as a child, and soon
supported herself and her very{{U}} (22) {{/U}}family by finding and
selling fossils. Very{{U}} (23) {{/U}}is known about her life, but her
father was a cabinet maker and he also{{U}} (24) {{/U}}local
fossils. Mary{{U}} (25) {{/U}}on the southern coast of England, in a town called Lyme Regis. Its famous{{U}} (26) {{/U}}by the sea contain{{U}} (27) {{/U}}fossil layers that{{U}} (28) {{/U}}from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods (the{{U}} (29) {{/U}}of the dinosaurs, other bizarre reptiles, large insects, sea creatures, {{U}}(30) {{/U}}mammals, and{{U}} (31) {{/U}}life forms). Mary Anning{{U}} (32) {{/U}}and prepared the first fossilized plesiosaur (an ocean-dwelling reptile) and the first Ichthyosaurus (an ocean-dwelling reptile that{{U}} (33) {{/U}}like a dolphin). She found many other important fossils, including Pterodactylus (a flying reptile), sharks (and other fish), and so on. {{U}}(34) {{/U}}with her brother Joseph, Mary supplied prepared fossil specimens to{{U}} (35) {{/U}}museums, scientists, and private collections. |