Amy Atwater

Amy Atwater is that most niche of things: a celebrity palaeontologist (or a “librarian of rocks”, as she puts it). Under the banner of Mary Anning’s Revenge, she has amassed over 57,000 followers on Instagram. She also runs a blog of the same name with fellow palaeontologist Meaghan Emery-Wetherall. She gained a Master’s in her field from the University of Texas and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Atwater’s passion for paleobiology, and how fossils can help us to understand the ecosystems of ancient history, has translated brilliantly onto social media where her personality shines through, doubtlessly inspiring many young people simply looking for cool stuff about dinosaurs to take a deeper interest in the subject.

The brilliant ‘Mary Anning’s Revenge’ name refers to the 19th century British palaeontologist who became world famous after discovering fossils, but sadly typical for her time, she didn’t always receive credit for her groundbreaking finds and wasn’t even allowed to join the Geological Society of London. Some 200 years later, Atwater is helping to make sure she receives her dues.