Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • Canada
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. Canada
  3. 2021
  4. October 13
  5. An ichthyosaur fossil of the Jurassic period, Dinosaurland Fossil Museum, Lyme Regis, Dorset, England
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios An ichthyosaur fossil of the Jurassic period, Dinosaurland Fossil Museum, Lyme Regis, Dorset, England

October 13, 2021

An ichthyosaur fossil of the Jurassic period, Dinosaurland Fossil Museum, Lyme Regis, Dorset, England

© Christopher Jones/Alam

Celebrating a young girl's age-old discovery

When 12-year-old Mary Anning uncovered the complete skeleton of a fish-like creature near her home on England's southern coast in 1811, extinction was a shaky idea in science. Fossils were nothing new—everything dies and leaves remains, after all. But could an entire species really die off? Were more of these five metres sea monsters lurking in the depths of the English Channel?

The fact that ichthyosaurs like this went extinct 90 million years ago seems obvious. But though such definite answers were still only suspicions during Mary Anning's lifetime, she persisted with paleontology. Her prolific fossil finds fuelled both public interest and scientific understanding, and she even discovered two more species in her 20s: the pterodactyl and the plesiosaur. Though she died young at 47, largely denied recognition as a woman in Victorian society, her influence endures like the fossils that fascinated her.

animal fish

Related Images

Sea otter floating in a kelp bed in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, United StatesSea otter floating in a kelp bed in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, United States
A Julia butterfly on the nose of a yellow-spotted river turtle, Amazon Region, EcuadorA Julia butterfly on the nose of a yellow-spotted river turtle, Amazon Region, Ecuador
Great green macaw, MexicoGreat green macaw, Mexico
Leopard mother grooming her cub, Jao Reserve, BotswanaLeopard mother grooming her cub, Jao Reserve, Botswana
Donkeys in a valley near Rhyolite, Nevada, United StatesDonkeys in a valley near Rhyolite, Nevada, United States
Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, BrazilStriated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, BotswanaImpala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Magellanic penguins, Volunteer Point, Falkland IslandsMagellanic penguins, Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands

Today on Bing

Courtyard of the Maidens, Alcázar of Seville, Spain

Courtyard of the Maidens, Alcázar of Seville, Spain

Oct 13, 2024
Milky Way over Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park, Canada

Milky Way over Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park, Canada

Oct 13, 2023
Bull and female moose in Denali National Park, Alaska

Bull and female moose in Denali National Park, Alaska

Oct 13, 2022
Red fox in the Netherlands

Red fox in the Netherlands

Oct 13, 2020
Highbush blueberry plants in Acadia National Park, Maine

Highbush blueberry plants in Acadia National Park, Maine

Oct 13, 2019

Related Tags

animal outdoor bird colorful grass water yellow parrot deer antelope otter reptile tortoise turtle sea turtle pond turtle trachemys pseudemys concinna concinna feather hummingbird
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.