Anthropologist Dr. Louis S. B. Leakey, Who Established That Human Origins Were in Africa, Issues His Field Report for 1968

Noted anthropologist Dr. Louis S. B. Leakey was largely responsible for establishing that human origins were in Africa, and his theoretical and paleontological work in the field had a profound impact on the prevailing conception of early humans. In addition to the 20 books and over 150 articles he wrote over his lifetime, and the multiple fossil and stone tool discoveries that have contributed so significantly to the field, he demonstrated that Africa was the key location in which to search for evidence of human origins. Leakey’s early, controversial, yet unwavering position that Africa was the cradle of humanity has held up against modern scientific scrutiny, and is now universally accepted. He and his wife Mary excavated at many sites in Africa during the 1950s, especially Olduvai Gorge in Tanganyika (now Tanzania). In 1959, Mary found their first significant hominid fossil, a robust skull with huge teeth. In response the National Geographic magazine printed the first of many articles about the Leakeys and their finds, and gave a large amount of funding which allowed the Leakeys to greatly increase the scope of their excavations at Olduvai. Within a few years they had found many more hominid fossils. In 1961, the Leakeys found remains of a large brained hominid living at the same time as the Australopithecine, but belonging to the genus homo, called Homo habilis, the first tool user. Although originally controversial, habilis would eventually be widely accepted as a species. It has been found to be 1.8 million years old by the University of California’s new potassium-argon method test.

In the 1960s, Mary continued to work in Olduvai Gorge, while Louis concentrated on other projects. Most notably, he was responsible for initiating Jane Goodall’s decades-long field study of chimpanzees in the wild, and the similar projects of Dian Fossey (for gorillas) in Rwanda and Birute Galdikas (for orangutans). In the early 1970s, after his death, Mrs. Leakey was a member of the expedition in Africa that discovered Lucy, the earliest known prehuman ancestor at 3.2 million years. The Leakey’s son Richard and his wife Margaret were also anthropologists, successfully excavating at Lake Barango and then on the Omo River.

Typed letter signed, on letterhead of the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation for Research Related to Man’s Origin, Los Angeles, December 25, 1968, to Dr. Gordon F. Derner, Director of the Clinical Psychology program at Adelphi University, seeking his additional support. “Life has been especially full for us during 1968, though I myself have been rather handicapped throughout the year having had an operation on my hip…I am really much better, although temporarily walking with two sticks. During the year work has been going well at a number of sites and you may expect to read of several new discoveries in the scientific and popular press in 1969. During 1968, Mary finished her volume in the Olduvai series and has resumed excavations at Olduvai. Richard and Margaret led an exploratory expedition to the Northeast corner of Lake Rudolf which produced several exciting finds even though they were only prospecting for future sites. The fossils skulls which Richard and his Kenya party found in the Omo Valley in 1967 are presently being studied in London and a report of considerable interest will be published soon.

“This year I had a young geologist and his wife work on Rusinga Island [Kenya] and, as a result, I was able to describe an important new fossil lower jaw of Kenyapithecus Africanus in the scientific paper Nature. I also was able to publish an exciting discovery from Fort Ternan. This consisted of a lump of lava which was used by Kenyapithecus wickeri to break open bones in Upper Miocine times. It was associated with bones exhibiting depressed fractures and some skulls broken open to obtain access to the brain. These discoveries date back to about ten or twelve million years ago.

“Prospects for scientific research in 1969 look excellent. Mary will continue work in Olduvai and I have plans for renewed excavations at Fort Ternan. Richard and Margaret will go back to the new area Northeast of Lake Rudolf and the Van Couverings will work again at Rusinga and other Miocene sites. Dick Hay will probably come out for further geological studies on Bed IV [a one-time lakebed and site of living areas of ancestors of man well over a million years old] and we hope to initiate excavations at a new middle Pliocene site in an area between Barango and Rudolph. Throughout the year Mary and I will take turns visiting the work now being carried out at Ubeidiya in Israel and under Tchernov and BarJoseph. The Tigoni Primate Research Center will enter a new phase of its program in January – if we raise sufficient funds to do so. Dian Fossey will continue her gorilla studies; she is already in very close contact with one group and getting magnificent results. We hope to have a new girl, Kathy Simpson, doing work on Braza monkeys next year. Jane Van Nawick Goodall, of course, is still working on her chimpanzee projects, but is no longer directly linked with us. She is having a very successful time.

“There is one final piece of good news. I am pleased and honored to permit my name to be used by the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation for Research Related to Man’s Origin. Organized under the leadership of Allen O’Brien of Newport Beach, who accompanied Richard on the Lake Rudolph and Omo Valley expeditions, it has received tax exempt status from the United States government, and a distinguished group of scientists and laymen have agreed to serve as trustees. I will see that you receive information from this foundation so that you will play an important role in its development. All of us engaged in this exciting field work throughout the world are greatly encouraged by the formation of this new American Foundation, which has dedicated its existence to assisting research related to man’s origin.” This is the first report of Leakey on his personnel, locations, discoveries, field operations and plans that we have seen.

Leakey was successful in funding and establishing this organization, which continues its work today under the name The Leakey Foundation. The Tigoni Primate Research Center stills exists also, as the Kenya Institute of Primate Research. Kenyapithecus Africanus, found at Fort Ternan, proved to be a 14 million year old fossil, which some consider a human precursor. Dick Hay was a famous anthropologist in his own right, though often working with Mary Leakey. The Van Couverings were successful in finding crocodiles from the Miocene, and wrote articles on their work. Perhaps young Kathy Simpson was a relative of noted archaeologist Ruth Simpson, who spent much of her professional life working with Leakey. Tchernov and BarJoseph were studying Pleistocene birds in Israel. As for the recipient, the Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies is named after him.