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eventREF E-0011873Revised

Event record

Palaeontologist Mary Leakey discovers one of the oldest hominid skulls in Tanzania

Palaeontologist Mary Leakey discovers one of the oldest hominid skulls in Tanzania

Date
17 Jul 1959
Updated
30 Sep 2019
Palaeontologist Mary Leakey discovers one of the oldest hominid skulls in Tanzania

On 17 July 1959, Palaeontologist Mary Leaky discovered on of the oldest hominid skulls in the Olduvai Gorge, in Northern Tanzania. At first she found several parts of the skull, and in the following few weeks, with her husband Louis Leakey, they uncovered more than 400 skull pieces. Originally they named it 'Zinjanthropus' (East African Man), but the skull was later renamed 'Australopithecus boisei'. The estimated age of the skull was 1.75 million years old. Leaky, who worked with her husband in Olduvai for many years, also developed a system for classifying stone tools in the area. She also discovered the Laetoli footprints, which is a line of hominin footprints preserved in volcanic ash. In 1960, Leaky became head of excavation at Olduvai, and after her husband's death, began to train her son, Richard, in the field.

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How we know this

  1. 01The Leaky Foundation. (2012) Mary D. Leaky 1913-1996. from The Leaky Foundation [Online] Available at https://leakeyfoundation.org [Accessed 17 July 2012]
  2. 02Whatya trivia: July 17 [online] Available at: www.andibradley.com [link no longer working]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). Palaeontologist Mary Leakey discovers one of the oldest hominid skulls in Tanzania. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011873

South African History Online (2011) 'Palaeontologist Mary Leakey discovers one of the oldest hominid skulls in Tanzania', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011873 (Accessed: 7 August 2026).

South African History Online, Palaeontologist Mary Leakey discovers one of the oldest hominid skulls in Tanzania [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011873, (accessed 7 August 2026).

"Palaeontologist Mary Leakey discovers one of the oldest hominid skulls in Tanzania." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011873. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "Palaeontologist Mary Leakey discovers one of the oldest hominid skulls in Tanzania." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011873.

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