Unearthing the Past: The Life of Mary Anning
Along the rugged, windswept coastline of Lyme Regis in southwestern England, crumbling cliffs of limestone and shale constantly reveal relics of ancient life. In the early nineteenth century, these unstable bluffs became the daily workplace of Mary Anning, an English fossil hunter whose keen eye and unmatched persistence fundamentally reshaped the emerging science of paleontology.
Born in 1799 to a working-class family of religious dissenters, Mary grew up under difficult financial conditions. Her father, Richard, was a cabinetmaker who supplemented his modest earnings by scouring the seashore for fossils, which the family referred to as "curiosities," and selling them to tourists. Richard taught Mary and her brother, Joseph, how to search the mudstone beaches after violent storms, when waves naturally sheared away sections of rock to expose hidden shapes. After Richard passed away in 1810, the family relied on selling these geological specimens to stave off poverty.
- paleontology:
- The scientific study of prehistoric life through the examination of plant and animal fossils.
- shale:
- A soft, fine-grained sedimentary rock formed from layers of compacted mud or clay.
- excavated:
- Carefully dug out and removed earth or rock to reveal buried objects.
- ichthyosaur:
- An extinct, dolphin-shaped marine reptile that swam the seas during the Mesozoic Era.
- plesiosaur:
- An extinct marine reptile typically characterized by a broad body, paddle-shaped limbs, and a long neck.
- pterosaur:
- An extinct flying reptile of the Mesozoic Era with wings formed of skin stretched along an elongated finger.
- coprolites:
- Fossilized animal dung or feces that provide evidence of prehistoric animal diets.
- eulogy:
- A formal speech or piece of writing that praises someone highly, typically someone who has recently died.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How did the geography and weather of Lyme Regis directly support Mary Anning's fossil hunting?
- 2Why was Mary Anning's family reliant on fossil collecting after 1810?
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About this biography passage for 7th Grade
“Unearthing the Past: The Life of Mary Anning” is a biography reading passage about Mary Anning, written for 7th Grade. It takes about 4 minutes to read (532 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.