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

645 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
OVPP-L-1647 10510 86 - HK 10 bone fragments of various species 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania 1 Giraffidae molar, 3 fish spines, & other indeterminate fragments Unknown Yes
OVPP-L-1571 10493 297 - TK Fish Gully 15 Small fragments including fish spines, Bovidae tooth fragment, microfauna bone fragments , 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Unknown Yes
OVPP-L-1618 10500 41 - WK E 19 Bone fragments, including fish, Bovidae phalanx, and others 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Unknown Yes
OVPP-L-1651 10514 86 - HK 2 Indeterminate bone fragments 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Unknown Yes
OLD-1 12394 70 - EHK 2 RIB (proximal); PHX 114 - Natural History Museum UK I -- OLD-1; EHK I S 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Yes
OVPP-L-1655 10518 86 - HK 5 Bones including Bovidae phalanx & distal phalanx 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Bovidae distal phalanx has on it "OLD/69 HK.134" Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae Yes
OVPP-L-1643 10505 298 - CMK 7 Indeterminate bone fragments 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Unknown Yes
OVPP-L-1658 10521 86 - HK 9 Elements: horn core fragment, distal femur, and distal metapodial 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Various taxonomy includes Aves, Bovidae, Leporidae, + others Unknown Yes
M. 17090 10388 A broken fragment of the left side of a mandible with damaged first molar, but with second and third molars intact. 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II Kamasian Pluvial LSB Leakey. 1958. Fossil Mammals of Africa: Some East African Pleistocene Suidae. British Museum. No. 14. Holotype. Formerly Coryndon Museum No. F. 3666. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 1942 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suina Suoidea Suidae Suinae Suini Mesochoerus olduvaiensis Yes
M. 17074 10385 A fragment of mandible with a well preserved lower third molar 1935 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) I top of Bed I F.L.K. LSB Leakey. 1958. Fossil Mammals of Africa: Some East African Pleistocene Suidae. British Museum. No. 14. Brit. Mus. Palaeont. Dept. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 1958 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suina Suoidea Suidae Potamochoerus majus Yes
M. 17073 10386 An isolated lower canine tooth. 1953 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II B.K.II LSB Leakey. 1958. Fossil Mammals of Africa: Some East African Pleistocene Suidae. British Museum. No. 14. Brit. Mus. Palaeont. Dept. Marked Old. B.K.II, 1953/443 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 1958 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suina Suoidea Suoidea Suidae Potamochoerus majus Yes
M. 17112 10387 An upper third molar in a fragment of maxilla. 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II F.L.K. Brit. Mus. Palaeont. Dept. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 1958 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suina Suoidea Suidae Suidae Potamochoerus majus Yes
OVPP-L-1570 10492 297 - TK Fish Gully Approximately 400 small bone fragments of microfauna, fish and crocodile 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Unknown Yes
OVPP-Mammalia 3801 83 - FLK NW AST, (n=33), CAL, (n=73), FEM, (n=272), HUM, (n=186), I, (n=316), M, (n=108), MAN, (n=161), MAX, (n=68), MTP, (n=257), PHX, (n=77), PVG, (n=218), RAD, (n=55), SCP, (n=40), TIB, (n=395), ULNA, (n=76), VER, (n=595) I 20 Arcos, S., Sevilla, P., and Fernandez-Jalvo, Y. 2010. Preliminary small mammal taphonomy of FLK NW level 20 (Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania). Quarternary Research 74:405-410. MNI is 198. Authors describe specimens as "small mammals". Unknown Mammalia Authors describe specimens as "small mammals". No
OVPP-Pelorovis 39 1871 AXIS 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Gentry, A. W. 1967. Pelorovis oldowayensis Reck, an extinct bovid from East Africa: British Museum. pp. 245-299 This axis belongs to the same set of cervical vertebrae as the UK Pelorovis 31 atlas. 137 - A. Gentry 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Pelorovis oldowayensis No
1931 II 999 9089 AXIS 1913 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany Black E. 1937. Fossil Antelopes of Olduvai. Scientific results of the Olduvai Expedition 1913:61. Cervical 2 (axis). Label/publication taxon ID: Gorgon taurinus semiticus. Reck Field No.: VI 1070. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli Inventoried by Faysal Bibi in 2012. No
1931 II 972 9090 AXIS 1913 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany Black E. 1937. Fossil Antelopes of Olduvai. Scientific results of the Olduvai Expedition 1913:61. Cervical 2 (axis), complete. Label/publication taxon ID: Gorgon taurinus semiticus. Reck Field No.: E 110.This specimen's number was not visible in any photographs. As a result, the photograph was included because it is likely that the specimen is represented in this image. However, this is not confirmed and it is possible that the specimen is not in this photograph. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli Inventoried by Faysal Bibi in 2012. No
COP-12-93 9677 AXIS 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania II -- 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/06/22 254 - COP Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Hippopotamoidea Hippopotamidae No
COP-12-96 9680 AXIS 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania Masek -- 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/06/22 254 - COP Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae No
OLD-1362 13118 AXIS 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-1362; Part of Reck collection in Munich. Numbers written on bone are German field numbers and do not correspond to stratigraphy. Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini No
M 104232 13090 AXIS-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK I -- OLD-1174; axis vertebra fragment Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae No
OVPP-Pelorovis 40 1872 AXIS-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Gentry, A. W. 1967. Pelorovis oldowayensis Reck, an extinct bovid from East Africa: British Museum. pp. 245-299 This axis is missing a transverse process. It seems to belong to a complete row of cervical vertebrae. 137 - A. Gentry 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Pelorovis oldowayensis No
1957 BK II 889 1873 10 - BK AXIS-f 1957 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Gentry, A. W. 1967. Pelorovis oldowayensis Reck, an extinct bovid from East Africa: British Museum. pp. 245-299 This specimen appears to come from a juvenile. 137 - A. Gentry 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Pelorovis oldowayensis No
1957 BK II 889 5939 10 - BK AXIS-f 1957 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Gentry, A. W. 1967. Pelorovis oldowayensis Reck, an extinct bovid from East Africa: British Museum. pp. 245-299 This specimen appears to come from a juvenile. 137 - A. Gentry 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Pelorovis oldowayensis No
1931 II 990 9091 AXIS-f 1913 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany Black E. 1937. Fossil Antelopes of Olduvai. Scientific results of the Olduvai Expedition 1913:61. Cervical 2 (axis), partial. Label/publication taxon ID: Gorgon taurinus semiticus. Reck Field No.: VII 411. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli Inventoried by Faysal Bibi in 2012. No
OVPP-P-24 13300 C or Crocodile TOOTH -- OLD BKIIE 1953-122 Unknown Yes
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
OVPP-L-1568 10490 297 - TK Fish Gully Canine Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Hippopotamidae Yes
F490 3028 6 - FLK NN CARA-f, LIMB, PLAS-f 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) I Auffenberg, W. 1981. The fossil turtles of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, Africa. Copeia 1981:509-522. 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. 152 - W. Auffenberg 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Reptilia Testudines The author mentions there are over 3,000 fossilized turtle fragments from Olduvai Gorge, 98% of which are from the species Pelusios sinuatus. However, it is unclear which specimens belong to which species based on the description given. When it was unclear, the specimen is only referred to as belonging to the Order Testudines. No
295 2837 10 - BK CLEI-f, L-SPINE 1957 104 - Unknown II Greenwood, P., and Todd, E. 1970. Fish remains from Olduvai. In: Fossil Vertebrates of Africa,vol. 2 New York: Academic Press. pp. 225-241. 151 - Greenwood and Todd Unknown Actinopterygii Siluriformes Clariidae Clarias sp. No
295 6605 10 - BK CLEI-f, L-SPINE 1957 104 - Unknown II Greenwood, P., and Todd, E. 1970. Fish remains from Olduvai. In: Fossil Vertebrates of Africa,vol. 2 New York: Academic Press. pp. 225-241. 151 - Greenwood and Todd Unknown Actinopterygii Siluriformes Clariidae Clarias sp. No
M. 21447 181 23 - TK CRA, L/R-MAX-f, L-HOR, L/R-P, L/R-M, L/R-I 1931 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) III, IV 4 feet below Masek Beds Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This neotype specimen is pictured in plates 81 and 82. The original holotype of M. kattwinkelli (VI-1099) was lost in WWII in Munich. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Xenocephalus kattwinkelli Neotype - This specimen was reclassified by Gentry and Gentry (1978) as Megalotragus kattwinkeli. No
M. 21461 118 13 - RK CRA, R/L-HOR, R-I, R-P, R-M 1931 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II upper Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plates 38 and 39. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Strepsicerotini Strepsiceros grandis Holotype. Gentry and Gentry (1978) reclassified this specimen as Tragelaphus strepsiceros grandis. No
OH 5 3713 5 - FLK 283 - 45 CRA , MAX , M , I , C , P 17 July - 6 August 1959 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Middle (Zinj.) 22 feet below the upper limit of Bed I (Tuff IF), approximately 20 feet above basalt. Leakey, L. S. B. 1959. A new fossil skull from Olduvai. Nature 184:491-493. Holotype. Almost complete cranium. Adolescent. One reconstructed fossil found at House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. Additional pieces from NMK unpublished. 142 - M. D. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Zinjanthropus boisei Holotype. This specimen was reclassified as Paranthropus boisei by Robinson (1960). No
UNLABELED SPECIMEN OLD? 1 8166 CRA-f, I, M, TOOTH-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania -- Unlabeled cranial and dental fragments including incisor and third molar. Label on box containing fragments states "Simopithecus skull fragments etc". 2012/07/31 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cynocephalinae Simopithecus No
1931 II 1251 8833 CRA-f, RIB-f 1913 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany Black E. 1937. Fossil Antelopes of Olduvai. Scientific results of the Olduvai Expedition 1913:8-104. 6 cranial and rib frags. Label/publication taxon ID: Gorgon taurinus semiticus. Reck Field No.: VII 814. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli Inventoried by Faysal Bibi in 2012. 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
OLD 61/067/2769 8099 5 - FLK d-TOOTH, d-C, d-I, d-M 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I -- Deciduous teeth including canine, incisors, molars. E/19 FLK I. Card in bag states "E-19( 8'-12')". All specimens in bag not labeled. 2012/07/26 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
UCMP 42071 12809 DIST HUM 276 - University of California Museum of Paleontology 1948 Unknown Mammalia Carnivora Caniformia Arctoidea Mustelidae Yes
OVPP-P-1 13276 Distal FEM-f -- Bed I surf OLD-S-I 1941 F.887 Unknown Indet. Yes