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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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1427 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-Trionyx 1 230 6 - FLK NN UK 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) I middle Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 140 - E.E. Williams 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Reptilia Testudines Cryptodira Trionychidae Trionyx No
OVPP-Varanus 1 231 UK 104 - Unknown I Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Several specimens have been found but no description is given. 140 - E.E. Williams 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Reptilia Squamata Scleroglossa Anguimorpha Varanoidea Varanidae Varanus No
OVPP-Serpentes 1 232 6 - FLK NN VER 104 - Unknown I middle Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Several snakes have been found associated with the Oldowan culture. Details are not given. 140 - E.E. Williams 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Reptilia Serpentes No
OVPP-Serpentes 2 233 5 - FLK VER 104 - Unknown I, II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Several snake specimens have been found. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Reptilia Serpentes No
OVPP-Serpentes 3 234 26 - FC VER 104 - Unknown IV Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Several snake specimens have been found. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Reptilia Serpentes No
OVPP-Crocodylus 1 235 SKEL 104 - Unknown Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. The author mentions several specimens are present. 141 - Hofstetter 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Reptilia Crocodilia Crocodylidae Crocodylus No
OVPP-Aquila 1 236 1913 104 - Unknown I, II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Several bird specimens have been found. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Aves Ciconiiformes Ciconii Falconides Accipitridae Aquila rapax No
OVPP-Erinaceus 1 239 7 - FLK North UK 104 - Unknown I upper 3, 4, 5 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. There are several specimens found but are not individually described. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Insectivora Erinaceoidea Erinaceidae Erinaceinae Erinaceus major No
FLK I/E-G 394 1 5 - FLK L-RAM, L-P, L-M 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. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Strepsirrhini Lorisiformes Galagidae Galago senegalensis No
OVPP-Papio 2 245 6 - FLK NN CRA, MAX 1962 104 - Unknown I middle 2, 3 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Skull is severely crushed. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cercopithecinae Papionini Papio indet. No
OVPP-Tapinochoerus 2 247 5 - FLK M 1959 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 32. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Suinae Phacochoerini Tapinochoerus sp. No
M. 21463 249 5 - FLK CRA, HOR 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 not described in the text but is shown in plate 84. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella sp. This specimen was reclassified as Antidorcas recki by Gentry and Gentry (1978). No
OVPP-Elephas 5 251 M-f 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) 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 16. 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 Mammalia Proboscidea Tethytheria Behemota Elephantoidea Elephantidae Elephas africanavus No
OVPP-Mesochoerus 1 252 23 - TK M 104 - Unknown II Lower layers Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Suinae Suini Mesochoerus heseloni No
M. 17090 253 10 - BK L-MAN-f, M 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 holotype was described in a previous monograph (Leakey, 1958). 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Suiformes Suoidea Suidae Suinae Suini Mesochoerus olduvaiensis Holotype No
OVPP-Macroscelididae 2 254 5 - FLK UK 104 - Unknown I Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. One juvenile specimen is found but not described. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Insectivora Macroscelididae No
OVPP-Pedetes 1 255 7 - FLK North UK 104 - Unknown I upper 1 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. The author indicates there are a "few specimens." 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Rodentia Anomaluromorpha Pedetidae Pedetes sp. No
OVPP-Steatomys 1 256 5 - FLK UK 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 is a very "constant type" but is never abundant. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Dendromurinae Steatomys sp. No
OVPP-Dendromys 1 257 6 - FLK NN UK 104 - Unknown I middle 3 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. No information on the types of specimens is given. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Dendromurinae Dendromys No
OVPP-Dendromys 2 258 7 - FLK North UK 104 - Unknown I middle 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. No information on the types of specimens is given. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Dendromurinae Dendromys No
OVPP-Heterocephalus 1 262 7 - FLK North UK 104 - Unknown I upper 3, 4, 5, 6 Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Elements preserved were not described by the author. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Rodentia Bathyergidae Heterocephalinae Heterocephalus sp. No
OLD BK 2 132 264 10 - BK MAN, L/R-I 104 - Unknown 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 plate 20. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Perissodactyla Hippomorpha Equidae Equinae Stylohipparion sp. No
OVPP-Stylohipparion 1 265 MAN, L/R-I 104 - Unknown Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plate 20. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Perissodactyla Hippomorpha Equidae Equinae Stylohipparion No
OVPP-Gazella 4 269 10 - BK HOR 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. 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 Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella No
OVPP-Gazella 5 270 10 - BK HOR 104 - Unknown 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 Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella No
OVPP-Simopithecus 1 271 UK 1913 104 - Unknown I, II, III, IV Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 293 - A.T. Hopwood 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cynocephalinae Simopithecus oswaldi leakeyi 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
BK II 1952.1495 1036 10 - BK L-HOR 1952 104 - Unknown II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in Leakey (1965) plate 86, left most specimen. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella Gentry and Gentry (1978) say this specimen is of "Type A" variety and could "doubtfully be included in D. niro." No
BK II 067/5238 1037 10 - BK 104 - Unknown II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plate 86, 3rd from the left. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella Gentry and Gentry (1978) say this specimen is of "Type A" variety and could "doubtfully be included in D. niro." No
BK II 1957.876 1040 10 - BK L-HOR 1957 104 - Unknown 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 Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella Gentry and Gentry (1978) say this specimen is of "Type A" variety and could "doubtfully be included in D. niro." No
BK II 067/5237 1051 10 - BK R-HOR II Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. This specimen is pictured in plate 86, second from the left. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella Gentry and Gentry (1978) say this specimen is of "Type A" variety and could "doubtfully be included in D. niro." No
M. 22436 1506 R/L-MAN, I, P, M 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) Leakey LSB. 1965. Olduvai Gorge 1951-1961, Volume 1: Fauna and Background. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Two mandibles with full adult dentition that are probably from the same individual. It is pictured in plate 8A. 137 - A. Gentry 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Neotragini Phenacotragus recki No
OVPP-Zinjanthropus 10 3920 5 - FLK CRA-f I middle (Zinjanthropus) 22 feet below the upper limit of bed I. Leakey, LSB. 1960. Recent discoveries at Olduvai Gorge. Nature 188:1050-1052. Author describes specimen as "parts of the skull of a second individual," in reference to the first Z. boisei skull found at this site OH 5. 157 - L. Hlusko 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae 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
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
OLD 1472 3694 63 - JLK MAN, M, P 1957 104 - Unknown IV Leakey, L., and Whitworth, T. 1958. Notes on the genus Simopithecus, with a description of a new species from Olduvai. This specimen is pictured in plate 4, figure 1; plate 5, figure 1; plate 6, figure 1; plate 8, plate 9, and plate 10. All descriptions of this specimen indicate that the pictured specimen is the holotype. In plate 4, however, the description reads female S. jonathani so it is unclear whether this is the same specimen or not. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cynocephalinae Simopithecus jonathani Holotype No
OLD 580 3695 22 - SC MAN-f, M 1957 104 - Unknown II Leakey, L., and Whitworth, T. 1958. Notes on the genus Simopithecus, with a description of a new species from Olduvai. 130 - L.S.B. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cynocephalinae Simopithecus jonathani No
OH 4 3720 8 - MK 281 - 11 P , M , MAN 1959 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Lower Surface. 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. Paratype. Two isolated teeth (lower molar and upper premolar) and one M3 in a mandible. Found in small block of consolidated tuff. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 282 - H. Mukiri 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis Paratype 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
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