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

1334 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
M 104153 13073 10 - BK L-MAN, M (3) 114 - Natural History Museum UK II -- OLD-1157; L-MAN with M1-M3; "OLD BK II 9.V.35" Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini No
M 104151 13058 10 - BK L-MAN, P, M (2) 114 - Natural History Museum UK II -- OLD-1144; L-MAN with P4-M2; "OLD Y BK II 9.V.35" Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini No
OLD 1953/2 BK II 8122 10 - BK L-HUM-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II 2? -- 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. Distal end of left humerus. Large.Simopithecus? Pleistocene. 2012/07/27 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD 1953/4 BK II 8141 10 - BK L-RAD-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Jolly, C.J. 1965. Origins and specialization of the long-faced Cercopithecoidea. PhD thesis, University of London. Proximal end of left radius. Large. 2012/07/30 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD/1951 1050 BK II 8178 10 - BK L-TAL 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Jolly, C.J. 1965. Origins and specialization of the long-faced Cercopithecoidea. PhD thesis, University of London. Left talus. Card in bag with specimen stats "OLD/1951 BK II 315". In BM loan collection. 2012/08/01 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD 1953/3 BK II KNM 2.3? 8190 10 - BK L-UNLA-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II -- Proximal end of left ulna and part of shaft. Pleistocene. 2012/08/01 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
M 103949 12641 10 - BK L-HOR 114 - Natural History Museum UK III-IV -- OLD-467; left horncore base; "OLD Y BK III-IV-contact 14.V.35" Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli No
M 103971 12668 10 - BK L-HOR 1935 114 - Natural History Museum UK II -- OLD-495; "BED II Surface Site BK 9.V.35" 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Parmularius angusticornis 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 80 3796 10 - BK R/L-P , L-M , R/L-I , L-HUM-f , R-RAD-f , R-FEM-f , TIB-f 2009 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II 4 Upper Domínguez-Rodrigo M, et al. 2013. First Partial Skeleton of a 1.34-Million-Year-Old Paranthropus boisei from Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. PLoS ONE 8(12): e80347. Distal portion of a left humerus diaphysis. Partial right radius with head, proximal metaphysis and partial diaphysis. Right partial femur, diaphysis in three refitting pieces. Tibia midshaft fragment assigned to OH 80 based on close "spatial association, comparable anatomical ruggedness and similar state of preservation to the other OH 80 postcranial fossils" (Dominiguez-Rodrigo et al., 2013). 292 - Proyecto Olduvai Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Australopithecus boisei Anatomically modern No
21 6600 10 - BK SKULL-f, PSPH 1953 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
315 6601 10 - BK L-PTER 1953 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
27 6604 10 - BK L-SPINE 1953 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
1365 6610 10 - BK L-SPINE-f 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
OLD 63 BK II 1153 8059 10 - BK L-M 1963 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II -- 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. Lower left third molar. Entire root missing. Pleistocene. 2012/07/23 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cynocephalinae Simopithecus No
OLD 1953/117 BK II Ex 8108 10 - BK L-MAN-f, M 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Jolly, C.J. 1965. Origins and specialization of the long-faced Cercopithecoidea. PhD thesis, University of London. Left mandibular fragment with M2 and roots of M3. In BM loan collection. 2012/07/26 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OH 20 3735 11 - HWK 289 - 44 L-FEM-f 1959 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II or I Lowermost if Bed II, upper if Bed I Surface Day, MH. 1969. Femoral Fragment of a Robust Australopithecine from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Nature. 22: 230-233. Proximal end of large left femur missing head, greater and lesser trochanters damaged. Either Lower Bed II or Upper Bed I (Leakey MD, 1971:233). Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 142 - M. D. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus cf. boisei No
OLD 1960 S.42 HWK II 8050 11 - HWK L-MAN-f, P, M 1960 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II -- 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. Emclosed card found with specimen states "Pleistocene Spec: Frag lt. mandible with PM3-4 and MI." 2012/7/20 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
1960.068/6126 977 11 - HWK L-HOR 1960 104 - Unknown II 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 No Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Parmularius angusticornis This specimen is larger than P. antiquus but agrees in shape with P. angusticornis. No
HWK 1960.58 1020 11 - HWK L-HOR 1960 104 - Unknown II 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 32, figure 3. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Parmularius rugosus No
HWK II 471 1353 11 - HWK L-HOR-f 1959 104 - Unknown II Gentry, A. W. 1966 Fossil Antilopini of East Africa. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History, Geology. 12: 43-106. 9 pls. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella wellsi No
OLD-519 12356 11 - HWK L-MTC-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-519; left metacarpal proximal end fragment Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Behemota Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Antidorcas recki Yes
M 103921 12393 11 - HWK L-M 114 - Natural History Museum UK I -- OLD-989; left lower M2; Oldoway HWK I S Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae Bovini cf. syncherus 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
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
HWK East II 2053 879 14 - HWK E L-MTT 104 - Unknown II 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 14. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkelli No
HWK East 1962.068/6649 1023 14 - HWK E L-HOR 1962 104 - Unknown II middle 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 32, figure 3. 137 - A. Gentry Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Parmularius rugosus No
S. 217 1093 14 - HWK E FRLT, L-HOR, R/HOR-f 1971 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) II rootlet clay 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 34, figure 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. 137 - A. Gentry 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Beatragus antiquus No
HWK E II 168 1118 14 - HWK E L-Man, L-M, L-P 104 - Unknown II 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 37, figure 6. Note the left teeth pictured with the mandible are from P. altidens and not from this specimen. 137 - A. Gentry Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Indet. No
OH 77 3792 14 - HWK E L-M-f 2010 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania II Lowermost Surface. OLAPP/Earthwatch”Discovered by an Earthwatch project led by F.T. Masao in 2003 and 2004, respectively, and will be described elsewhere.” -R. Clarke (2011) Left upper M2 crown. No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus africanus No
OAS 125 10148 14 - HWK E L-COR-f 1989-2008 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania II Lowermost Prassack KA. 2014. Landscape distribution and ecology of Plio-Pleistocene avifaunal communities from Lowermost Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Journal of Human Evolution. 70:1-15. Specimen is labeled C in image: dorsal view of proximal left coracoid. "These fossils are currently being utilized in the publication of the author’s dissertation research wherein they have been given OAS (Olduvai Avian Specimen) numbers. Once the dissertation is completed, they will be returned to the OLAPP laboratory in Arusha, Tanzania, where they will be assigned OLAPP sequence numbers (Prassack, 2014)." 257 - OLAPP Yes Aves Anseriformes Anatidae Sarkidiornis cf. melanotos No
OAS 032 10150 14 - HWK E L-TBT-f 1989-2008 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania II Lowermost Prassack KA. 2014. Landscape distribution and ecology of Plio-Pleistocene avifaunal communities from Lowermost Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Journal of Human Evolution. 70:1-15. Specimen is labeled E in image: anterior view of distal left tibiotarsus. "These fossils are currently being utilized in the publication of the author’s dissertation research wherein they have been given OAS (Olduvai Avian Specimen) numbers. Once the dissertation is completed, they will be returned to the OLAPP laboratory in Arusha, Tanzania, where they will be assigned OLAPP sequence numbers (Prassack, 2014)." 257 - OLAPP Yes Aves Gruiformes Rallidae Rallus cf. caerulescens No
OAS 107 10152 14 - HWK E L-TARMET-f 1989-2008 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania II Lowermost Prassack KA. 2014. Landscape distribution and ecology of Plio-Pleistocene avifaunal communities from Lowermost Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Journal of Human Evolution. 70:1-15. Specimen is labeled G in image: anterior view of distal left tarsometatarsus. "These fossils are currently being utilized in the publication of the author’s dissertation research wherein they have been given OAS (Olduvai Avian Specimen) numbers. Once the dissertation is completed, they will be returned to the OLAPP laboratory in Arusha, Tanzania, where they will be assigned OLAPP sequence numbers (Prassack, 2014)." 257 - OLAPP Yes Aves Phoenicopteriformes Phoenicopteridae Phoenicopterus cf. roseus 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
M. 22365 1196 18 - VEK CRA, R/L-HOR 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 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Antidorcas recki No
M. 21456 1203 18 - VEK L-HOR 1935 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II Gentry, A. W. 1966 Fossil Antilopini of East Africa. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History, Geology. 12: 43-106. 9 pls. This specimen was originally assigned to G. wellsi by Gentry (1966). 137 - A. Gentry 273 - Reck expedition No Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Gazella wellsi Gentry and Gentry (1978) reclassified this specimen as Antidorcas recki. No
M. 22361 1204 18 - VEK L-HOR-f 1935 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) II 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 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Antilopini Antidorcas recki No
OVPP-Testudines 15 3086 18 - VEK SHEL-f 106 - Natural History Museum UK (?) -- 152 - W. Auffenberg 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
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