She Sells Seashells: Mary Anning, an Unlikely Paleontologist

At first, Mary Anning collected shells and other curiosities to sell in her family’s shop. Then she began discovering fossils that were monumental to changing the course of how we understand life on Earth. But educated male scientists at the time—men who bought and studied Mary’s fossils—did not recognize her skills, nor did they include her in their discussions as the field of paleontology emerged.

Self-taught and passionate, Mary was too busy making new discoveries to worry about those rich educated men. Today she is recognized as the first paleontologist. Back matter expands on Mary's remarkable life, including where she lived, relationships, and the tricky dynamic of being a woman of her time.