Mary Anning discovered the first correctly identified ichthyosaurus fossils with her brother Joseph.
Anning collected fossils along the Jurassic Coast near Lyme Regis in Dorset, England. In 1811, Joseph found a skull, and Mary later located the rest of the skeleton. The specimen helped establish ichthyosaurs as extinct marine reptiles rather than modern fish or mammals.
Anning made several major fossil discoveries and developed practical expertise in anatomy, preparation, and geological interpretation. Her work supported the growing nineteenth-century science of paleontology.
She faced barriers because she was a woman from a poor family and was often left out of formal scientific institutions. Museum displays and publications sometimes credited male collectors more prominently, even when Anning supplied the specimen or expertise.