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The Amazing Scientific Achievements of the Woman Who Kickstarted Paleontology

"Thanks, Mary Anning." -Steven Spielberg [citation needed]

Before Mary Anning and her contemporaries, it was still widely assumed that fossils were just remains from existing animals and not generally useful for science (nor put in the ground by Satan). Thought most of her work wound up being published by men because life in the early 19th century was awful, Anning made a ton of important discoveries—including what bezoar stones actually were, because she needed to see the dinosaurs’ droppings.

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Dan Van Winkle
Dan Van Winkle (he) is an editor and manager who has been working in digital media since 2013, first at now-defunct <em>Geekosystem</em> (RIP), and then at <em>The Mary Sue</em> starting in 2014, specializing in gaming, science, and technology. Outside of his professional experience, he has been active in video game modding and development as a hobby for many years. He lives in North Carolina with Lisa Brown (his wife) and Liz Lemon (their dog), both of whom are the best, and you will regret challenging him at <em>Smash Bros.</em>

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