Search the database

IMPORTANT NOTE: We have maintained the originally published taxonomic designation for each specimen despite the fact that many of these specimens have been reclassified since.  We chose to follow this protocol because of the difficulty in keeping up to date with all of the taxonomic groups, and our hesitancy to make a judgement call on taxonomic debates.  As such, please search the database with this in mind, perhaps using higher level taxonomic classifications for your query.

Search Results

978 specimens found
Image Spec # CODI Database ID Arch. Locality Geo. Locality Elements Preserved Excavation Date Repository Bed Level Stratigraphic Horizon Bibliographic Information Curatorial Notes ID By ID Date Research Team In Situ Sediment or Matrix Adhering Class Order Suborder Infraorder Superfamily Family Subfamily Tribe Genus Species Subspecies Taxonomic Notes Taxonomic Problems
G. 309 6559 5 - FLK NRCR-f, ETHM, SOCC 1960 104 - Unknown I Zinjanthropus (22) Greenwood, P., and Todd, E. 1970. Fish remains from Olduvai. In: Fossil Vertebrates of Africa,vol. 2 New York: Academic Press. pp. 225-241. At least 7 individuals are represented. 151 - Greenwood and Todd Unknown Actinopterygii Siluriformes Clariidae Clarias No
1957.56 P.P.T.3 139 18 - VEK CRA-f, L/R-HOR 1957 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) I upper Upper Villafranchian Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plates 59 and 60. It is from a female. Original information indicated that this specimen was located in Nairobi. This specimen is likely within the material that was repatriated to Dar in 2011, but this has yet to be confirmed. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Hippotraginae Hippotragini Hippotragus gigas Paratype No
M. 21446 179 L-HOR-f, CRA-f 1935 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) I Upper Villafranchian Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plate 80. Additional specimens have been found at FLK N I. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Beatragus antiquus Paratype No
OH 3 3719 10 - BK 280 - 94 d-C , L-d-M 1955 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Upper Upper part of BK channel which cuts into Tuff IID Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. In the first publication of these specimens (Leakey, LSB, 1958), Leakey described the teeth as a deciduous lower canine and a left deciduous upper M2. "This view was not shared by Robinson, von Koenigswald and others, who preferred to regard it as either a permanent or a deciduous upper molar of an australopithecine character" (Leakey, MD, 1970:226). Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus Referred to as species boisei in Tobias (Olduvai Gorge volume IV, 1991). No
OH 14 3729 27 - MNK 287 - 88 "Skull Site" CRA-f , FRO-f , R-PAR-f 1963 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Lower Middle B Surface. Inferred as same horizon as OH 13 (Leakey MD, 1971). Leakey, L.S.B., Tobias, P.V. & Napier, J.R. 1964. A new species of the genus Homo from Olduvai Gorge. Nature 202(4927): 7-9. Juvenile (sutures unfused). Thin skull. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 11 pieces found at House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Juvenile, parietal is thin. No
OH 12 3727 18 - VEK 286 - 86 OCC , L/R-PAR , L/R-TEM-f , CRA-f , L-PAL , L-MAX , TOOTH-f 1962 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania IV? a Surface. Found on eroded slope of Bed III. L-TEM-f from just below marker Tuff IVa. Leakey, L., and Leakey, M. 1964. Recent discoveries of fossil hominids in tanganyika: at Olduvai and near Lake Natron. Nature 202:5-7. Crowns of teeth not preserved. Bed IVA determined on basis of matrix adhering to L-TEM-f and PAL. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No L-TEM-f & PAL found with matrix adhering. Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo erectus No
OH 2 3718 27 - MNK 279 - 88 CRA-f 1935 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) III/IV Lowest horizon of Bed IVa. Surface. Found at head of MNK Gully where Beds II and IV are exposed. Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Two cranial vault fragments. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. Not found at House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 142 - M. D. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo erectus Similar to OH 9 and OH 12. No
OH 6 3721 5 - FLK 283 - 45 CRA-f , M-f , L-P , L-TIB-f , L-FIB-f , 1959/60 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Middle (Zinj.) Surface. Cranial and dental fragments found in surface soil from slope immediately below Zinj. site; assumed to be from Zinj. level (Leakey, MD, 1971:227). TIB-f and FIB-f from Zinj. level. Davis, P. R. 1964. Hominid fossils from Bed I, Olduvai Gorge, Tanganyika. A tibia and fibula. Nature. 201, 967. From Tobias (1991): OH 35 tibia and fibula attributed to same individual as OH 6 but appear to be more mature. It is unclear if OH 35 tibia and fibula are the same tibia and fibula originally listed under OH 6. Leakey, MD, 1971 describes CRA and dental fragments as having been found in surface soil, but Leakey, Tobias, and Napier, 1964 state "some [were] found in situ [and] some on the surface" (:9). Unworn lower L-P3. Partially developed roots of upper M1 or 2. Six cranial vault fragments. Tibia and fibula fragments first assumed to be associated with Zinjanthropus OH5, but should be considered associates with OH 6 following morphological study (Leakey, MD, 1971:227). and skull fragments. Juvenile. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis Paratype. TIB-f and FIB-f not given taxonomic designation in original publication (Davis, 1964) but named as a paratype in Leakey, Tobias, and Napier, 1964. No
OH 52 3767 24 - DK L-CRA-f 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Lower Surface. -- Incomplete left temporal. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis No
OH 79 3794 49 - BK E CRA-f 2007 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania II Lower-Middle Surface. OLAPP “Discovered by an Earthwatch project led by F.T. Masao in 2003 and 2004, respectively, and will be described elsewhere.” -R. Clarke (2011)/Earthwatch Weathered. No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae No
OH 1968 3797 40 - JK CRA 1968 125 - Germany Ndutu Lower Surface. Von Zieten RRR. 2009. Preliminary report on a new Olduvai hominid from 1968: an Anatomically-Modern-Man from Upper Ndutu Bed. Retrieved from http://www1.uni-hamburg.de/ Anatomically modern. Complete skull. Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo sapiens Anatomically modern No
OLD 68/S.9 opp. S.C. IV S ? IV. C KNM 2.4.3 8066 22 - SC CRA-f, R-ZYG-f, L/R-MAX, R/L-M, R/L-P, R/L-C-f 1968 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania IV Surface? -- Packed in National Museum in Nairobi, Kenya in box 188 or 189 labeled "Cercopithecidae" for transport to National Museum of History, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Partial cranium: Left and right maxillae and right zygomatic fragment present. Right and left M1-3, P 3-4, and canines present. Crown of left canine broken off. Only root of right canine is preserved. Incisors not preserved. Left M3 crown broken off. Buccal side of left M2 crown broken off. Distal portion of buccal side of left M1 crown broken off. Needs preparation. 2012/07/23 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Y Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OVPP-700 10073 CALC 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania I Lower Surface, on top of marker just below Tuff IA. -- 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/07/07 253 - OVPP No Mammalia Carnivora Feliformia Felidae No
OH 22 3737 73 - VEK/MNK R-MAN-f , R-P , R-M , R-I-f , R-C-f 1968 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania III/IV Surface, indeterminate gravel Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Right half of mandible with roots of I1-C and complete P3-M2. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo cf. erectus No
OVPP-624 9997 COR-f 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania I Lower Surface 6m below Tuff IB; sandy calcareous clays. -- Proximal end. 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/07/02 253 - OVPP No Aves No
OVPP-643 10016 C-f, I-f 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania I Lower Surface 6m below Tuff IB; sandy calcareous clays. -- Probably not from a single individual. Upper and lower canine and incisor. 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/07/02 253 - OVPP No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OH 9 3724 71 - LLK 284 - 46 CALV 2 December 1960 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Upper II D Surface Leakey LSB. 1966. Homo habilis, Homo erectus and the Australopithecines. Nature, 209(5030), 1279–1281. Calvaria. "Chellean Man." 264 - Leakey family expedition No Yes. Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo erectus No
OH 24 3739 74 - DK E CRA , M , P 1968 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Lower Surface Tobias, PV. 1991. The Skulls, endocasts and teeth of Homo habilis. Cambridge: University Press. Cranium is crushed. Teeth not specified. From same horizon as OH 4. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 142 - M. D. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis No
OH 30 3745 72 - FLK Maiko Gully 283 - 45 TOOTH , d-TOOTH , CRA-f , 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Lower Surface "Parts deciduous and germ dentitions" (Leakey MD, 1971:234). Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus boisei No
OH 33 3748 6 - FLK NN CRA-f 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Surface Tobias, PV. 1991. The Skulls, endocasts and teeth of Homo habilis. Cambridge: University Press. Thin vault fragments. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo Very thin skull No
OLD/69 MRC S.132 8048 39 - MRC R-MAX, ZYG-f, P, M, C 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania IV Surface -- Packed in National Museum in Nairobi, Kenya in box 188 or 189 labeled "Cercopithecidae" for transport to National Museum of History, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Enclosed card reads "Simopithecus - Parts of maxilla and skull. (total of 43 frags.) MRC Bed 4 (S. 116, 126 & 132)." Specimen from same individual as S. 123, which is labeled "MRC IV surface S. 123". 2012/7/20 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cynocephalinae Simopithecus No
MRC IV. SURF S. 123 8049 39 - MRC CRA-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania IV Surface -- Packed in National Museum in Nairobi, Kenya in box 188 or 189 labeled "Cercopithecidae" for transport to National Museum of History, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Enclosed card labeled " SIMOPITH.-part of Maxilla and skull (total of 43 frags. MRC Bed 4(S,116,126 and 132)". Card in package with S. 132 and 194 long with this specimen 2012/7/20 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cynocephalinae Simopithecus No
OLD 63/3038 DK1 8086 24 - DK L-C 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 2 Strip II -- Upper left canine. Female? Strip II 1/2. Cynocephalinae? 2012/07/26 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 63/5510 DK I 8093 24 - DK CRA-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 2 Strip II -- Cranial fragment. Label in bag states "OLD 63/5509-5515" but 5511 is missing. 2012/07/26 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 63/5509 DK I 8094 24 - DK CRA-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 2 Strip II -- Cranial fragment. Label in bag states "OLD 63/5509-5515" but 5511 is missing. 2012/07/26 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 63/5513 DK I 8095 24 - DK CRA-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 2 Strip II -- Cranial fragment. Label in bag states "OLD 63/5509-5515" but 5511 is missing. 2012/07/26 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 63/5515 DK I 8096 24 - DK CRA-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 2 Strip II -- Cranial fragment. Label in bag states "OLD 63/5509-5515" but 5511 is missing. 2012/07/26 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 63/5512 DK I 8097 24 - DK CRA-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 2 Strip II -- Cranial fragment. Label in bag states "OLD 63/5509-5515" but 5511 is missing. 2012/07/26 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 63/5514 DK I 8098 24 - DK CRA-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 2 Strip II -- Cranial fragment. Label in bag states "OLD 63/5509-5515" but 5511 is missing. 2012/07/26 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
DK I 067/4230 II L/1 8236 24 - DK MTC-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 1 Strip II -- Proximal end of metacarpal. Pleistocene. Card in bag with specimen states "Loc: lduvai, Field No: OLD 62". 2012/08/06 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD/63 159 DK I I L/2 8224 24 - DK MTC 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Ii 2 Srip I -- Metacarpal. Pleistocene. Card in bag with specimen states "Cercopithecidae indeterminant". 2012/08/03 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD/62 DK IA SCREE 8227 24 - DK R-CUBNAV 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I A? Scree surface -- Right navicular. Card in bag with specimen states "Field No: 067/4045". Pleistocene. 2012/08/03 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OVPP-717 10090 CRA-f , HOR-f 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania I Lower Sandy clays 3m below Tuff IA. -- Partial cranium with one horn core. 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/07/07 253 - OVPP No Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae No
OVPP-654 10027 COR-f 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania I Lower Sands 1m below carbonate that overlies Tuff IA channel fill. -- 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/07/03 253 - OVPP No Aves No
OVPP-662 10035 C 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania I Lower Sands 10m below carbonate that overlies Tuff IA channel fill. -- 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/07/03 253 - OVPP No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD/69 FLK S.159 8219 5 - FLK d-C 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania S. 159 -- Deciduous canine. 2012/08/03 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OVPP-576 9949 CRA-f, L/R-M 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania I Lower Right on top of ignimbrite. -- Partial cranium with left M1-2 and right M1-3. 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/06/30 253 - OVPP Yes Y Mammalia Proboscidea Tethytheria Behemota Deinotheriidae Deinotherium No
OVPP-694 10067 MTC 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania I Lower Popcorn clays interbedded with sands, 6m below gray sandstone. -- MC3. 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/07/07 253 - OVPP No Y Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OH 7 3722 6 - FLK NN 283 - 45 MAN , L-PAR , R-PAR-f , M , OCC-f , L/R-TEM-f , PHX , CAR 1960 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 3 On surface of clay immediately overlying Tuff IB. Leakey, L.S.B., Tobias, P.V. & Napier, J.R. 1964. A new species of the genus Homo from Olduvai Gorge. Nature 202(4927): 7-9. Holotype. "Jonny's Child". Juvenile. Mandible with partial dentition and unerupted R/L-M3, almost complete left parietal and fragments of right parietal, left and right petrous portions (temporal) , "sundry small skull fragments ... [and] twenty-one bones of the hand, including the trapezium, scaphoid and a number of phalanges" (Leakey, MD, 1971:228). "One upper molar, a terminal phalanx, and a broken capitate bone, found on the surface, probably also belong to this individual" (:226). Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis Holotype No
2870 10181 6 - FLK NN R-COR-f I Lower Layer 4 Brodkorb P., Mourer-Chauviré C. 1982. Fossil Anhingas (Aves: Anhingidae) from early man sites of Hadar and Omo (Ethiopia) and Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania). Geobios 15: 505-515 Upper half of right coracoid lacking head. "Place of conservation of material : The fossils are currently on deposit at the University of Florida, Department of Zoology, and will later be returned to their countries of origin. The serial numbers such as 2780 are catalogue numbers of the Olduvai birds, and the data are kept at the University of Florida, Gainesville" (Brodkorb and Mourer-Chauvire, 1982:510). Specimen number does not match specimen pictured. It is possible that there is a typo that erroneously lists the specimen pictured in figures 5 and 6. Figure description: "Upper half of right coracoid, 2870, Lower Pleistocene, Frida Leakey Korongo, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, posterior view." (Brodkorb and Mourer-Chauvire, 1982). 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Aves Suliformes Anhingidae Anhinga hadarensis No