Fossils of dinosaurs and other great beasts usually grab the limelight. But all kinds of fossils are important, and many palaeontologists have contributed enormously to our knowledge of the prehistoric world while remaining relatively
unknown. Dorothy Hill (1907-97) was based in Queensland, Australia. She first studied Mesozoic rocks, but then began to
analyze fossil corals from the Palaeozoic Era. Corals and their reefs are hugely important in dating remains, as index or
indicator fossils (see Dating Fossils, later in this section). Her three-volume International Treatise on Invertebrates is
still admired by palaeontologists worldwide. Dorothy Hill also became the first woman to be made a professor at an
Australian university.