Google doodle celebrates Mary Anning’s 215th birth anniversary

Internet giant Google on Wednesday celebrated the 215th anniversary of the birth of British palaeontologist Mary Anning with a special doodle.

The Google homepage shows Mary Anning hunting for fossils with the fossilized remains of the animals making up Google’s letters.

Anning is best known for her work collecting fossils from the Jurassic period near her home in Lyme Regis Dorset.

Born on May 21st 1799, Anning contributed to fundamental changes that occurred during her lifetime in scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the history of the Earth. Her first discovery was a skull, when she was just twelve, along with her brother Joseph.

Despite her popularity in Britain, Europe and America, Mary Anning couldn’t make it to the Geological Society of London on account of her gender.
Anning died of cancer, aged 47, on 9th March 1847.