Mary Leakey (6 February 1913 – 9
December 1996) was a British archaeologist and anthropologist, who discovered
the first fossilized Proconsul skull, an extinct ape now believed to be
ancestral to humans, and also discovered the robust Zinjanthropus skull at
Olduvai Gorge. For much of her career she worked together with her husband,
Louis Leakey, in Olduvai Gorge, uncovering the tools and fossils of ancient
hominines. She developed a system for classifying the stone tools found at
Olduvai. She also discovered the Laetoli footprints.
She had no formal education in archaeology or paleontology,
but Leakey’s eye and passion guided her to many significant finds.
(thenewstribe.com)
Over her lifetime Mary Douglas Nicol
Leakey has been the recipient of numerous awards. Her Honorary degrees include:
D. of Science, University of Witwatersrand(68), D. of Science Michigan
University(80), D. of Social Science Yale (76), D. of Litt Oxford(81).
Photo of reproduction of her Paranthropus boisei skull (supposedly 2 to 3 million years old):
No comments:
Post a Comment