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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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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
OVPP-L-215 8356 MAX, I, C 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania -- Specimen label: OLD-87-?37-?3-S. Box #: OLD 87-3-E. Box label: Teeth. 158 - W. Reiner 2012/07/01 Unknown Mammalia Perissodactyla Hippomorpha Equidae No
FLK NN I 800 846 6 - FLK NN L-FEM, R-HUM, R-RAD, R-ULN, R-TIB, OCX, R-CAL, VER, RIB 1961 104 - Unknown 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. This is from the same individual as FLK NN I 960. It is found slightly higher than the FLK NN I level, and is overlain by Tuff ID. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Hippotraginae Hippotragini Hippotragus gigas It has resemblance to Oryx but the authors suggest it resembles H. gigas. No
F4733 3048 CARA, 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. 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown sinuatus W. Auffenberg ",",",",",",",",",",Reptilia" No
OLD-46 12635 CAR 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-46; lunar bone Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla "ruminant Artiodactyl No
OLD-33 12557 CAR 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-33; lunar bone Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla "ruminant Artiodactyl" 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
778 3896 6 - FLK NN L-MAN-f, M, C I Petter, G. 1973. Carnivores Pleistocenes du ravin d’Olduvai (Tanzanie). Fossil vertebrates of Africa 3:43-100. Specimen is a left mandible with M1 and C. Unknown Mammalia Carnivora Feliformia Herpestidae Herpestinae Herpestes debilis Author describes this specimen as a member of the subgenus "Galerella". Specimen is holotype. No
778 7657 6 - FLK NN L-MAN-f, M, C I Petter, G. 1973. Carnivores Pleistocenes du ravin d’Olduvai (Tanzanie). Fossil vertebrates of Africa 3:43-100. Specimen is a left mandible with M1 and C. Unknown Mammalia Carnivora Feliformia Herpestidae Herpestinae Herpestes debilis Author describes this specimen as a member of the subgenus "Galerella". Specimen is holotype. No
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
M 103985 12703 OCC-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-536 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini cf. Alcelaphini Unknown
M 103953 12876 CRA-f (4) 1931 114 - Natural History Museum UK II -- OLD-771 310 - Hopwood Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Behemota Bovoidea Bovidae cf. Connochaetes Unknown
M 103974 12571 26 - FC NRCR 114 - Natural History Museum UK II -- OLD-367; partial braincase; "FC II Base 7.V.35" Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini cf. Parmularius angusticornis Yes
M 103878 12912 FEM-f, CRA, CER (6) 114 - Natural History Museum UK I -- OLD-816; partial cranium, FEM-f, cervical vertebrae; "Bed I Surface" Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini cf. Syncerus (Faysal) Unknown
MLK 068/6514 3803 34 - MLK CRA-f, P, M, (n=3) II Lower From horizon above Lemuta Member of Lowed Bed II Leakey MG and Leakey REF. 1973. New large Pleistocene colobinae (Mammalia, Primates) from East Africa. Fossil Vertebrates of Africa Vol. 3, 121-38. Similar to colobine specimen KNM-ER 398 in cranial dimensions. Maxillary dentition represented by P4, M2, M1, M2. Crania is represented by multiple fragments, and some fragments are missing. Large canine socket of right maxilla indicates specimen is male. Specimen is pictured in Plate 3. 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Either Cercopithecinae or Cynopithencinae. Author states that the cranium is typical of Cercopithecinae but that the dental morphology resembles Cynopithecinae. No
MLK 068/6514 7564 34 - MLK CRA-f, P, M, (n=3) II Lower From horizon above Lemuta Member of Lowed Bed II Leakey MG and Leakey REF. 1973. New large Pleistocene colobinae (Mammalia, Primates) from East Africa. Fossil Vertebrates of Africa Vol. 3, 121-38. Similar to colobine specimen KNM-ER 398 in cranial dimensions. Maxillary dentition represented by P4, M2, M1, M2. Crania is represented by multiple fragments, and some fragments are missing. Large canine socket of right maxilla indicates specimen is male. Specimen is pictured in Plate 3. 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Either Cercopithecinae or Cynopithencinae. Author states that the cranium is typical of Cercopithecinae but that the dental morphology resembles Cynopithecinae. No
OLD-319 12552 CUNE IV -- OLD-319; pyramidal Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Hippopotamidae found in Hippopotamus drawer Unknown
OVPP-Tragelaphus 2 122 6 - FLK NN CRA, HOR 1960 104 - Unknown I middle 1, 2, 3 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Other specimens are present (Leakey, 1971) but are not described. The cranium and horn cones were found near the base of Bed 2. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Strepsicerotini Strepsiceros maryanus Gentry and Gentry (1978) reclassified this specimen as Tragelaphus strepsiceros maryanus. No
068/5813 123 58 - KK CRA 1959 104 - Unknown II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. The author indicates that specimens are common in Bed I, lower Bed II, and early in middle Bed II (Gentry and Gentry, 1978, a). The specimen # is provided by Gentry and Gentry (1978). The cranium and horn cones were found near the base of Bed 2. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Strepsicerotini Strepsiceros maryanus Gentry and Gentry (1978) reclassified this specimen as Tragelaphus strepsiceros maryanus. No
FLK N I 9394 932 7 - FLK North L-MTC 104 - Unknown I upper 5 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in Gentry and Gentry (1978a) plate 19, figure 2 (lower). 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Caprinae Caprini Gentry and Gentry (1978) reclassified this specimen to aff. Caprinae. No
OVPP-Bularchus 1 127 10 - BK SKULL, MAX, CRA, HOR 104 - Unknown II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Several specimens including crania and post-cranial elements have been found in BK II. One example is pictured in plate 48. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Bularchus arok Gentry and Gentry (1978a) renamed this specimen as P. oldowayensis. No
E-58 742 CRA 111 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany(?) 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. This specimen was destroyed in WWII. 138 - E. Schwarz Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Taurotragini Taurotragus oryx pachyceros Gentry and Gentry (1978a) suggest this name should not be considered. No
G. 356 102 5 - FLK MAN, L/R-P, L/R-M, L/R-C, L/R-I 1960 104 - Unknown I middle (Zinjanthropus) 22 feet below the upper limit of bed I. Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plate 23. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Suinae Suini Promesochoerus mukiri Holotype No
FLK N I 1235 105 7 - FLK North CRA, MAX, P, M 1961 104 - Unknown I upper 5 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plate 25. It is the same individual as FLK N I 1236. The specimen is crushed. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Suinae Suini Ectopotamochoerus dubius Holotype No
FLK NN I 177/1960 107 6 - FLK NN CRA, MAX, P, M, C 1960 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) I middle 3 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plate 28. This skull is "very crushed."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 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Suinae Suini Potamochoerus intermedius Holotype No
F. 3665 P.P.T. 4 124 16 - LK CRA, L-HOR-f, R-HOR 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) IV Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Face and maxillae are missing. The holotype is pictured in plates 43 and 44. It was found on the surface between RK and LK. This eland is poorly represented at Olduvai. 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 No Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Taurotragini Taurotragus arkelli Holotype No
F. 3662 068/5812 P.P.T.2 138 CRA-f, L-HOR, R-HOR-f 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) 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 56 and 58. The adhering matrix suggests this specimen must come from above the Lemuta member. 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 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Hippotraginae Hippotragini Hippotragus gigas Holotype No
1516 743 13 - RK CRA, R/L-HOR 112 - Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany (?) 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. This specimen is also listed as field numbers 1517 and 1518. 143 - W. O. Dietrich Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Pelorovis oldowayensis Holotype No
Kar K II 1962.068/5811 760 42 - Kar. K R/L-HOR, CRA 1962 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) II upper basal gravels 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. This specimen is pictured in plate 2. The authors indicate other horn cores are found from Bed II to undivided Beds III-IV and teeth occur from Beds I-IV. 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. 137 - A. Gentry 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Syncerus acoelotus Holotype No
VI 306/1931 II 101 831 R-HOR, L-HOR-f, CRA 1931 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany II, 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. Reck believed this specimen came from Bed IV but Hay (in communication with the authors) suggested that adhering matrix indicates it could also have come from Bed II. 144 - H. Reck 273 - Reck expedition Unknown yes but not specified Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Thaleroceros radiciformis Holotype No
068/6514 3711 34 - MLK CRA, MAX-f, R/L-P, R/L-M 104 - Unknown II middle Leakey, M. G., and Leakey, R. E. F. 1973. Pleistocene Colobinae from East Africa. Leakey, L. S. B., Savage, R. J. G., Coryndon, S. C., eds. In: Fossil Vertebrates of Africa,vol. 3. London: Academic Pr This specimen is pictured in plate 3. 154 - Leakey and Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Colobinae Colobini Cercopithecoides kimeui Holotype 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
OVPP-Tatera 4 3964 7 - FLK North CRA-f, M I 1 Denys, C. 1989. Two new gerbillids (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Specimen is described as the "anterior skull fragment with the left and right upper molar rows" Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Gerbillinae Taterillini Tatera gentryi Holotype No
M. 21451 128 18 - VEK CRA-f, R-HOR-f 1935 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) III, IV Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This holotype was found at the junction of Beds 3 and 4. It is pictured in plates 49 and 50. [This species is documented at SHK II, FLK N I, and BK II (Leakey, 1971).] 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Bovini Gorgon olduvaiensis Holotype - Gentry and Gentry (1978) reclassified this specimen as Connochaetes taurinus olduvaiensis. No
OVPP-Tragelaphus 1 121 14 - HWK E CRA, HOR 1959 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) II lower 2 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plates 40, 41. The cranium and horn cones were found near the base of Bed 2. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovinae Strepsicerotini Strepsiceros maryanus Holotype - Gentry and Gentry (1978) reclassified this specimen as Tragelaphus strepsiceros maryanus. No
M. 21460/OR-NR VIII 343 205 CRA, MAX, HOR, M, P 1913 109 - BSPG, Munich, Germany(?)/ NHM UK(?) Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This holotype was collected by Reck in 1913 and is housed in the Munich Museum, registered as OR-NR VIII 343. The BMNH number, M. 21460 is for the cast and is shown in plate 87. Locality was not provided by the author. 137 - A. Gentry 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella Holotype - This specimen was reclassified as Antidorcas recki by Gentry and Gentry (1978). No
BK II 1955 P.P.T. 1 159 10 - BK CRA, L/R-HOR-f 1955 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This holotype specimen is pictured in plate 67. The author gave the specimen number as P.P.T. 3, but Gentry and Gentry (1978a) gave the correct number as P.P.T. 1. BK II was added to this specimen number to avoid confusion as there is another specimen with number P.P.T. 1. 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. 138 - E. Schwarz 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Damaliscus angusticornis Holotype - This specimen was reclassified by Gentry and Gentry (1978) as Parmularius angusticornis. No
FLK N I 335 108 7 - FLK North R-MAN , R-P , R-M , R-C 1960 104 - Unknown I upper 1, 2, 3 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Specimen consists of a right mandible that is missing incisors. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Tetraconodontinae Notochoerus euilus Holotype. At the time of publication, it was considered along with FLK N I 441 to be the holotype of N. eulius. 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
OLD-344 12562 CUNE 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-344; pyramidal Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Tethytheria Behemota Elephantoidea Hippopotamidae in Hippo drawer Unknown