Family of archaeologists and paleoanthropologists known for their discoveries of
hominin and other fossil remains in eastern Africa. Louis S.B. Leakey (b. 1903 — d. 1972), born of British missionary parents, grew up in Kenya, was educated at Cambridge University, and eventually (1931) began field research at
Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. He was joined there by his wife, Mary D. Leakey (b. 1913 — d. 1996), who in 1959 uncovered remains of a form of
Australopithecus. The couple later uncovered the first known remains of
Homo habilis, as well as those of
Kenyapithecus, a possible common ancestor of humans and apes that lived
c. 14 million years ago. L.S.B. Leakey commissioned
Jane Goodall, Biruté Galdikas, and
Dian Fossey to undertake pioneering studies of chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas, respectively. Mary Leakey continued to make important discoveries, including the
Laetoli footprints, after her husband's death. Their son, Richard Leakey (b. 1944), is known for his work at the Koobi Fora site on the shores of
Lake Turkana in Kenya, where he uncovered evidence of
H. habilis dated as early as 2.5 million years ago. His wife, zoologist Meave Leakey (b. 1942), discovered two new hominin species.
For more information on Leakey family, visit Britannica.com.