Read about the latest human origins discoveries, Leakey Foundation-supported research, and news from the field.
Jane Goodall on Instinct
Video
In this charming animated interview from the PBS Series Blank on Blank, Jane Goodall discusses her early dreams of studying animals in the wild, and how meeting Louis Leakey in Kenya made it … Continued
Grantee Spotlight: Elizabeth Moffett
Grantee Spotlight
We are pleased to introduce Elizabeth Moffett, PhD candidate from University of Missouri, who was awarded a Leakey Foundation research grant in December 2014 for her project entitled “Birth and its … Continued
Fossil jaw sheds light on the early evolution of Homo
In the News
A close up view of the fossil just steps from where it was discovered by Chalachew Seyoum. Photo by Brian Villmoare. A fossil lower jaw found in the Afar Region … Continued
Guest Post: Why walk on two legs?
Guest Post | Speaker Series
By Jeremy DeSilva of Boston University. Jeremy will discuss the question “Why walk on two legs?” along with Brian Richmond during a SciCafe at the American Museum of Natural History on April … Continued
Grantee Spotlight: Samantha Porter
Grantee Spotlight
Samantha Porter in the lithics lab at the University of Minnesota The next grantee from our fall 2014 granting cycle is Samantha Porter. She is a PhD candidate from the University of Minnesota, … Continued
Survival of the fleetest, smartest, or fattest?
Speaker Series | Video
Our understanding of human evolution has grown exponentially since Darwin’s time. This week marks the 206th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, so we’re sharing a Darwin-related Leakey Foundation lecture from our archives. … Continued
Grantee Spotlight: Maura Tyrrell
Grantee Spotlight
The next fall 2014 grantee we would like to introduce to you is Maura Tyrrell. She is a PhD candidate from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, and her dissertation … Continued
Cranium discovery sheds light on early human migration
In the News
Leakey Foundation grantees Israel Hershkovitz and Ofer Marder led an international team of archaeologists who discovered a 55,000 year old cranium in Manot Cave in Israel. Their discovery was described last week in … Continued
Grantee Spotlight: Naomi Cleghorn
Grantee Spotlight
Naomi Cleghorn, University of Texas at Arlington, was awarded a Leakey Foundation research grant in the fall of 2014 for her project entitled “Investigating a rare Early Later Stone Age site … Continued
Grantee Spotlight: Shelby S. Putt
Grantee Spotlight
We are happy to introduce another one of our fall 2014 grantees, Shelby S. Putt, PhD candidate from the University of Iowa. Her dissertation project is entitled “Investigating the co-evolution of … Continued