Mary Anning's Grave

On a sunny and windy August day in 2016, I visited a coastal town called Lyme Regis in the county Dorset, England. This area is part of what is known as the Jurassic Coast which stretches approximately 150 km from Exmouth to Studland Bay.

An area well known for its Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Period fossils. From 1799 till her death in 1847 Lyme Regis was home to fossil hunter/palaeontologist Mary Anning. Her remains now buried in the graveyard of St. Michael the Archangel church along with that of her brother Joseph and three Anning children who died in infancy. She is known for finding Ichthyosaurs and Plesiosaurs along with flying reptiles, fish, ammonites, and other marine fossils.

I include closeup pictures from the base of the tombstone where visitors have left ammonite and belemnite fossils.

A short walk from the grave one can look out over coast line and see the cliffs that still bear fossils like the ones she used to venture out to collect.

Portrait of Mary Anning at British Museum

Source is Wikipedia Commons

It is possible later in 2020, a drama entitled Ammonite starring Kate Winslet as Mary Anning will be released. See IMDB page link below:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7983894/

If you visit the Find A Grave web site page for Mary Anning photo section you can see an April 2019 image. The stone has cleaned and the engraved text enhanced. The contrast is amazing.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34949489/mary-anning/photo

Rhactorhynchia inconstans Brachiopod Fossil

This image of a brachiopod identified as Rhactorhynchia inconstans (J. Sowerby). Other genus names used to describe this specimen are Torquirhynchia and Rhychonella. It was found in the Lower Kimmeridge Clay Weymouth Dorset England. The fossil dates to the Jurassic Period.

Fossil was on display at the British Natural History Museum in London, England on August 2016.

Learn more at this web site: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/Corallian-Fossils.htm

Asteroceras obtusum Ammonite Fossil

This fossil ammonite is an Asteroceras obtusum.  These small creatures existed in the Lias of the Jurassic Period. It was found on the Charmouth coast of Dorset, England and is near the home of the famous paleontologist Mary Anning.  The area is known for their fossils particularly ammonites. Is museum accession number is IP70250.

These fossils are part of the Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana exhibit at the Museum of Natural History and Science in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was photographed in August 2013. The dinosaur exhibit was created by the Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto Canada.

The exhibit was supported by Associate Exhibit Sponsor Frisch's restaurant and Promotional Partners Cincinnati Reds baseball, newspaper The Enquirer and TV channel Local 12 WKRO Cincinnati.

Promicroceras Ammonite Fossils

These fossil ammonites are a Promicroceras sp. found in the Black Ven Marls Member.  These small creatures existed in the Sinemurian age or stage (about 191 million years ago) in the Early Jurassic Period.  This age was named in 1842 by Alcide d'Orbigny and named after the Semur-en-Brionnais, France [source Wikipedia].  Lyme Regis is found on the Charmouth coast of Dorset, England and is home of the famous paleontologist Mary Anning.  Lyme Regis is famous for their fossils particularly ammonites.

These fossils are part of the Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana exhibit at the Museum of Natural History and Science in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was photographed in August 2013. The dinosaur exhibit was created by the Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto Canada.

The exhibit was supported by Associate Exhibit Sponsor Frisch's restaurant and Promotional Partners Cincinnati Reds baseball, newspaper The Enquirer and TV channel Local 12 WKRO Cincinnati.

Ammonite of Lyme Regis

Thanks to reader Shamalama of Pennsylvania, I have obtained my very own Lyme Regis ammonite so now I am happy as clam at high tide (or would that be an ammonite in mosasaur free waters).

This fossil ammonite is a Promicroceras planicosta found in the Black Ven Marl Member.  This small creature existed in the Sinemurian age or stage (about 191 million years ago) in the Lower Jurassic Period.  This age was named in 1842 by Alcide d'Orbigny and named after the Semur-en-Brionnais, France [source Wikipedia].  Lyme Regis is found in Dorset, England and is home of the famous paleontologist Mary Anning.  Lyme Regis is famous for their fossils particularly ammonites.

According to Wikipedia the Promicroceras (Spath, 1925) is classified as:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Subclass: Ammonoidea
Order: Ammonitida
Superfamily: Eoderocerataceae
Family: Eoderoceratidae
Genus: Promicroceras
Species: planicosta