A national blue plaque has been dedicated to pioneering fossil hunter Dorothea Bate at the Natural History Museum in Tring, Hertfordshire. Historic England stated that Bate, who died in 1951 aged 72, "transformed our understanding of prehistoric animals and ancient environments" through her research.
The plaque notes that the palaeontologist was "Officer-in-Charge of this museum from 1948". Bate, born in Carmarthen, Wales, in 1878, had little formal education but developed a fascination with the natural world. She secured a position as an assistant at the Natural History Museum in London in 1900, beginning an association that lasted over 50 years.
Bate undertook expeditions across the Mediterranean, often travelling alone. Her discoveries include a previously unknown species of dwarf elephant in Cyprus and the myotragus, an extinct goat-like antelope, in the Balearics in 1909. She published more than 80 scientific papers, despite spending most of her career without a permanent paid position.
Historic England co-CEOs Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire said Bate's research continues to be invaluable and that as one of the first women employed by the Natural History Museum, she was instrumental in paving the way for future women in science. Heritage minister Baroness Twycross added that Bate's achievements "helped break through the glass ceiling and paved the way for women in palaeontology".