THE LAYERS THAT MADE UP THIS ROCKY FORMATION WERE MILLIONS OF YEARS OLD THERE RICHARD ANNING LOOKED FOR FOSSILS AND SHELLS WITH MARY AND HER BROTHER JOSEPH LOOK MARY THESE ARE CALLED ARROWHEADS BUT THEY ARE SHARK TEETH WHEN THE SEA CRASHES AGAINST THE SHORE ROCK LAYERS ON THE SURFACE PEEL OFF NEW ONES BECOME VISIBLE A STORM IS COMING SEE THAT'S GOOD FOR US IT SAVES US A LOT OF WORK AND WE CAN FIND VERY INTERESTING THINGS IN THOSE BUT IT IS DANGEROUS WORK THE OCEAN CAN COME BACK AND SWALLOW YOU
ONCE THE ANNINGS DECIDED THEY HAD COLLECTED ENOUGH FOSSILS THEY TOOK THE FOSSILS HOME TO CLEAN AND PREPARE THEM IN 1810 MARY'S FATHER DIED IN AN ACCIDENT WITHOUT ANY INCOME THE ANNING FAMILY HAD TO DEPEND ON CHARITY FROM NEIGHBORS TO SURVIVE HERE YOU GO MOLLY THANK YOU MRS STOCK NEXT THEY LAID FOSSILS OUT ON A TABLE IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE THAT WAY TOURISTS COULD BUY FOSSILS AS SOUVENIRS FROM THEIR VACATIONS ON THE COAST MARY USED TO WALK AROUND BLUE LIAS MOURNING HER FATHER WHEN ONE DAY LET'S GO SEE THE ODDITIES OF MR ANNING OH
THE REMAINS IN THE ROCK THEY'RE SO BIG OH WHAT AN INTERESTING STONE DID YOU FIND IT HALF A CROWN ALL THAT MONEY JUST FOR ONE ROCK THAT IS RIDICULOUS YE YES MA'AM JUST WAIT I WILL GO BACK TO THE BEACH AND FIND MORE FOSSILS I LIKE IT IT IS VERY PRETTY I WILL GIVE YOU HALF A CROWN FOR IT WE WILL SELL THEM LIKE FATHER USED TO AND WE'LL MAKE A LOT OF MONEY WELL I SUPPOSE WE'LL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
MARY AND HER BROTHER SOON RETURNED TO THE COAST SOMETIMES HER BROTHER'S FRIEND HENRY DE LA BECHE WOULD GO WITH THEM LET'S MAKE A DEAL YOU TEACH ME EVERYTHING YOU LEARN ABOUT ROCKS AT SCHOOL AND I WILL TEACH YOU EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT FOSSILS MARY LOOK THIS IS CLAY IT'S IMPERMEABLE THAT'S WHY IT DOES NOT ABSORB WATER SEEMS FAIR ALL RIGHT I LEARNED THAT AT SCHOOL HERE DO YOU SEE THIS IT IS A VERTEBRA ONE THAT BELONGED TO THE BACKBONE OF A VERY LARGE CREATURE
