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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.

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7924 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-Muridae 4 40 7 - FLK North P, M, I, C 104 - Unknown I upper 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Several specimens of unidentified murids are present. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae The author is unsure of the taxonomy. No
M. 14517 728 L-HOR-f 1931 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) I Gentry, A. W., and Gentry, A. 1978. Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia) of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Part I. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Geology 29:289-446. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Tragelaphini Tragelaphus The author indicates this kudu specimen is too fragmented to be assigned to subspecies. No
M. 21479 729 L-HOR-f 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) Gentry, A. W., and Gentry, A. 1978. Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia) of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Part I. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Geology 29:289-446. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Tragelaphini Tragelaphus The author indicates this kudu specimen is too fragmented to be assigned to subspecies. No
M. 21480 730 HOR-f 1931 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) Gentry, A. W., and Gentry, A. 1978. Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia) of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Part I. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Geology 29:289-446. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Tragelaphini Tragelaphus The author indicates this kudu specimen is too fragmented to be assigned to subspecies. No
M. 21481 731 R-HOR-f 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) Gentry, A. W., and Gentry, A. 1978. Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia) of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Part I. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Geology 29:289-446. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Tragelaphini Tragelaphus The author indicates this kudu specimen is too fragmented to be assigned to subspecies. No
OVPP-Elephantulus 1 15 7 - FLK North UK 104 - Unknown I upper 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Several specimens. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Insectivora Macroscelididae Elephantulus sp. The absence of lower 3rd molar suggests it is not in the genus Nasilio. No
M 103925 12686 L/R-FRLT, NRCR-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-512; R/L-FRLT and braincase-f Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Tragelaphini Taurotragus or Tragelaphus (cf. T. strepsicerus) Unknown
OVPP-Giraffa 1 115 11 - HWK SKEL 104 - Unknown II lower Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This is a complete skeleton. Some parts are pictured in plates 33, 34, and 35. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Giraffoidea Giraffidae Giraffinae Giraffini Giraffa gracilis Syntype No
M 104172 13070 I-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-1154 Unknown Mammalia Suidae or Equidae Yes
COP-12-45 9630 L-MAN-f, L-M 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania -- Left mandibular fragment with M3. Stratigraphy unknown. 157 - L. Hlusko 2013/06/21 254 - COP Unknown Y Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Hippopotamoidea Hippopotamidae Small No
OH 34 3749 76 - JK W FEM , TIB-f 1962 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania III/ IV for Bed IV level = a Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Femur described as "slender" (Leakey MD, 1971) and shaft of tibia. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo sp. Slender bone 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
M18785 3875 9 - THC CAR I All specimens for this paper are thought to be from one individual (MNI = 1). Each specimen has its own specimen number. This carpal is a scaphoid. Unknown Mammalia Perissodactyla Ceratomorpha Selenida Chalicotherioidea Chalicotheriidae Schizotheriinae Schizotheriini Ancylotherium hennigi Shows resemblance to A. pentelicum. No
M18785 7636 9 - THC CAR I All specimens for this paper are thought to be from one individual (MNI = 1). Each specimen has its own specimen number. This carpal is a scaphoid. Unknown Mammalia Perissodactyla Ceratomorpha Selenida Chalicotherioidea Chalicotheriidae Schizotheriinae Schizotheriini Ancylotherium hennigi Shows resemblance to A. pentelicum. No
VII-1111 3916 SKULL IV Gentry, A., Gentry, A., and Mayr, H. 1995. Rediscovery of fossil antelope holotypes (Mammalia, Bovidae) collected from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, in 1913. Bayerische Staatssammlung fur Palaontologie und Reck (1935) and Schwartz (1937) give its number. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Rhynotragus semiticus Schwartz (1937) used the name semiticus as a subspecies of the extant alcelaphine Connochaetes taurinus because of the skull's distortion. Gentry and Gentry (1978) do not agree, but offer no alternate taxon. Gentry and Gentry (1995) state that Ruingoryx can be taken as a junior subjective synonym of Rhynotragus. No
OLD-93 12963 CAR 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-93; lunar bone Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla ruminant artiodactyl No
OLD-641 12774 CAR 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-641; scaphoid Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla ruminant Artiodactyl No
OLD-669 12790 CAR 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-669 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla ruminant Artiodactyl No
OLD-700 12821 CAR 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-700; scaphoid Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla ruminant Artiodactyl No
OLD-158 12449 HAM 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-158; hamate/unciform/uncinate Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla ruminant Artiodactyl No
OLD-416 12594 CUNE 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-416 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla ruminant Artiodactyl No
OLD-21 12490 PHX 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-21 Unknown Mammalia Rhino? In rhino drawer Unknown
OLD-117 12407 MAX-f with teeth 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-117; based on note with specimen, may not be from Olduvai Unknown Mammalia Rhino or Hippo Yes
OLD-166 12456 PHX 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-166; pedal bone Unknown Mammalia Perissodactyla Ceratomorpha Tapiromorpha Rhinocerotoidea Rhinocerotidae reptile pedal bone? Unknown
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
VI-306 3917 L-HOR Gentry, A., Gentry, A., and Mayr, H. 1995. Rediscovery of fossil antelope holotypes (Mammalia, Bovidae) collected from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, in 1913. Bayerische Staatssammlung fur Palaontologie und Attached to VII-1111 holotype cranium. Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Connochaetes taurinus semiticus Recognized by Andrea Gentry to fit into the holotype crania of R. semiticus (VI-1111), this they propose that No
VI-306 7678 Gentry, A., Gentry, A., and Mayr, H. 1995. Rediscovery of fossil antelope holotypes (Mammalia, Bovidae) collected from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, in 1913. Bayerische Staatssammlung fur Palaontologie und Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Connochaetes taurinus semiticus Recognized by Andrea Gentry to fit into the holotype crania of R. semiticus (VI-1111), this they propose that No
BM(NH) M21447 3918 SKULL Gentry, A., Gentry, A., and Mayr, H. 1995. Rediscovery of fossil antelope holotypes (Mammalia, Bovidae) collected from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, in 1913. Bayerische Staatssammlung fur Palaontologie und Damaged skull lacking nasals. Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli Previously used as the holotype of Xenocephalus robustus, which Gentry and Gentry (1965) regarded as a junior synonym of Megalotragus kattwinkeli. No
OLD-829 12921 40 - JK R-M-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK III -- OLD-829; distal fragment of right upper M3 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Suinae Phacochoerini Metridiochoerus previous taxonomic ID: Tapinochoerus meadowsi No
OLD-697 12805 317 - MRK S L-M-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK II -- OLD-697; left mesial fragment of upper M3; MRK IIS 21.5.35 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Suinae Phacochoerini Metridiochoerus previous taxonomic ID Tapinochoerus meadowsi No
M 103876 12925 40 - JK CER (2) 114 - Natural History Museum UK IV -- OLD-833; may be associated with OLD-816; "Oldowat JK IV" Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Pelorovis written on it Unknown
M. 14683 10383 Two upper tusks, probably of the same individual. 1934 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) I lower part, Middle Pleistocene Kamasian Pluvial LSB Leakey. 1958. Fossil Mammals of Africa: Some East African Pleistocene Suidae. British Museum. No. 14. British Museum Palaeontology Department 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 1942 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Potamochoerus majus Paratypes. Originally classified as Koiropotamus majus (Hopwood, 1934). Reclassified as Potamochoerus majus (Leakey, 1942). Yes
M. 14683 1345 R/L-, TUSK 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) I Hopwood, A. 1934. New fossil mammals from Olduvai, Tanganyika territory. Annals of the Magazine of Natural History. 10: 546-550. Two tusks, which are probably from the same individual represent the two paratypes. 293 - A.T. Hopwood Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Koiropotamus majus Paratypes 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
M. 21452 900 R-HOR 1931 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) IV Gentry, A. W., and Gentry, A. 1978. Fossil Bovidae (Mammalia) of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Part I. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Geology 29:289-446. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Connochaetes taurinus olduvaiensis paratype? No
M. 14685 1347 L-MAN-f, L-M 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II Hopwood, A. 1934. New fossil mammals from Olduvai, Tanganyika territory. Annals of the Magazine of Natural History. 10: 546-550. 293 - A.T. Hopwood Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Tetraconodontinae Notochoerus dietrichi Paratype- This specimen was referred to as the holotype by Bishop (2010). Bishop also reclassified this sepcimen as Metridiochoerus hopwoodi. No
M. 14553 152 FRO-f, HOR-f 1931 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This paratype was first described by Schwartz (1937) and is pictured in plate 63. It was excavated by Reck between 1931 and 1935.This specimen is used as the holotype as the original was destroyed in Munich in WWII. 138 - E. Schwarz 273 - Reck expedition No Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Damaliscus angusticornis Paratype (Holotype) - This specimen was reclassified by Gentry and Gentry (1978) as Parmularius angusticornis. No
M. 21428 160 18 - VEK CRA, L/R-HOR-f 1935 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plates 68 and 69. The specimen has VEK II written on it but it is registered as VEK I. 138 - E. Schwarz 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Damaliscus angusticornis Paratype - This specimen was reclassified by Gentry and Gentry (1978) as Parmularius angusticornis. No
M. 14948 126 CRA-f, L-HOR-f 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Bularchus arok Paratype - Gentry and Gentry (1978a) renamed this specimen as P. oldowayensis. No
FLK NN I 701 103 6 - FLK NN C 104 - Unknown I middle 2 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plate 24 next to modern Phacochoerus specimens. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Suinae Suini Promesochoerus mukiri Paratype No