Unveiling
Image caption, Hundreds of people turned out to see the unveiling

A statue of Mary Anning was unveiled in her hometown.

Her discoveries in the early 19th century helped shape scientific understanding of prehistoric life, but her work was never properly recognised.

Prof Alice Roberts carried out the unveil.

The memorial was unveiled on what would have been Anning's birthday.

As a child, the fossil hunter began searching for fossils along the coastline that is now called the Jurassic Coast.

She was the first person to find a complete plesiosaurus.

Prof Alice Roberts
Image caption, Prof Alice Roberts backed a crowdfunding appeal for the statue

Crowds cheered as Prof Roberts said that Mary Anning was welcome back to the town.

Mary Anning is a role model for women who want to get into science. This is where she came from and where she made her discoveries.

She said that she represents the change we need in our society, which is to push further and bring more people into science.

The life of Anning, who inspired the film Ammonite, was never fully credited for her discoveries due to her social status.

Painting of Mary Anning wearing a bonnet and a large green coatImage source, NHM
Image caption, In 1811, aged 12, Mary Anning discovered a 5.2m (17ft) skeleton, now known to be an ichthyosaur

Evie said that the main reason she wanted to do it was to make sure she got the recognition she deserved.

The mother of the teenager said that she thought in-out in a year, not a problem, after four years of trying to realise her ambition.

It was a life-affirming thing to be involved with, despite the Pandemic in the middle.

The Land Girls monument at the National Arboretum has been created by artist, and creator of the sculpture near Anning's birthplace.

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