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April 17, 2025 21 mins

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A story of early Earth science in action! Mary Anning was a pioneering paleontologist and fossil hunter who reshaped our understanding of prehistoric life. Growing up by the seaside cliffs of Lyme Regis, England, she uncovered ancient creatures hidden in the rocks—like giant sea reptiles and even fossilized dinosaur poop! Her discoveries helped scientists understand that creatures could go extinct and that the Earth was much older than people once believed. Her work was often dismissed and she rarely received the credit she deserved. Today, she is known around the world as the unsung hero for the scientific study of life through fossils. 

Go to the episode webpage: https://jonincharacter.com/mary-anning/             

Get a free activity guide on Mary Anning: https://dorktalesstorytime.aweb.page/ep109freePDF 

If you enjoyed this story about Mary Anning, you may also enjoy learning about Evelyn Cheesman, another Earth Science’s hidden hero of history who observed, collected and catalogued previously undiscovered insects, reptiles, amphibians, and plants—over 70,000 of them: https://jonincharacter.com/evelyn-cheesman/ 

CREDITS: Hidden Heroes of History is a Jonincharacter production. Today’s story was written by Rebecca Cunningham, edited and produced by Molly Murphy and performed by Jonathan Cormur. Sound recording and production by Jermaine Hamilton at Pacific Grove Soundworks.

Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings - We are part of this exciting new series coming September 16! Find it wherever you listen to podcasts: https://pod.link/1502915722

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