Mary Ann Mantell

File:Portrait of Mary Ann Mantell.jpg

Portrait of Mary Ann Mantell

Mary Ann Mantell (née Woodhouse, 1799–1847 or 9 April 1795 – c. 1855) was the wife of British scientist Gideon Mantell. She is credited with the discovery of the first fossils of Iguanodon and provided several pen and ink sketches of the fossils for Gideon Mantell's scientific description of Iguanodon.

Mary Ann Woodhouse married Gideon Mantell in 1816 and lived with him in Lewes. She accompanied Mantell on his fossil collection trips. Although the couple became a coherent research team, Mary Ann eventually became exasperated by her husband's overarching devotion to his work and his lack of interest in her, and ultimately divorced him. She had three children.

Iguanodon discovery

File:Fossils of the South Downs plate 31.jpg

Illustration from the book The Fossils of the South Downs, engraved by Mary Ann Mantell from sketches by Gideon Mantell. The book describes geological formations and fossils found in the South Downs of Sussex, England. Shelfmark: OUM: 1 d. 67. This is plate V, showing strata between Brighton and Rotterdean, strata to the West of Rotterdean, and the landing place at Rotterdean.

Mary Ann Mantell had gone with Gideon Mantell to Surrey for a spring ride in the country while Gideon visited a patient. In that time she noticed several tooth-shaped fossils in the gravel with which the road had been paved. She took these to show Gideon, sparking his interest and search in local rock quarries for more fossils.