She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are seashells I’m sure, so if she sells seashells on the seashore, then I’m sure she sells seashore shells. Some claim that this tongue twister is about the early life of 19th-century English paleontologist Mary Anning. Although there’s scant evidence to back up the notion that this ditty was inspired by Anning’s job selling fossils and other curios in a seaside town, it’s a good excuse to dig deeper into the life of this remarkable woman. Despite her pioneering contributions to the field of paleontology, Anning received little recognition during her lifetime. Eventually, though, the Royal Society would include her in a list of the ten most influential British women in the history of science. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Mary Anning Sells Seashells”
You know there’s that tongue twister that goes she sells seashells by the seashore the shells.
She sells our seashells I’m sure so if she sells seashells on the seashore then I’m sure she sells seashore shells.
Yeah right I did not realize that some people claim that that tongue twister was composed in honor of Mary Anning.
An actual person.
Yes, who was a 19th century English fossil collector and paleontologist.
She’s got a fantastic story, Mary Anning, A-N-N-I-N-G.
She and her dad lived in a coastal town in southwestern England and would sell curios to visitors who came by.
And these were fossils with colorful local names like snake stones and that kind of thing.
And she ended up making some huge contributions to the study of paleontology.
And in fact, 163 years after her death in 2010, the Royal Society in Britain included her on a list of 10 British women who have most influenced the history of science.
This is ringing a bell.
Perhaps I heard about her in 2010 when that happened.
Oh, that could be.
And there’s no firm evidence that that had to do with her.
But how nice that would be if that were true.
Yeah.
That you would have a part of the English language history in that way.
Exactly.
And when she was alive, for most of her life, she did not get recognition.
But she made these big contributions to science.
So Google Mary Anning, A-N-N-I-N-G.
That sounds like a movie that needs to be made.
Right?
Yeah.
Father and a daughter with these curious habits and strange pastimes and passions out there combing the beach and their habits turn into science and the history of the planet.
Yeah, maybe Scarlett Johansson and Bruce Dern.
Oh, there we go. Perfect. What a pairing.
