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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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1523 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
OH 25 3740 268 - 54 L-PAR-f 1968 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania IV a Surface Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Left parietal fragment ca. asterion. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 142 - M. D. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Juvenile. No
OH 26 3741 55 - FLK W R-M 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I/II See curatorial notes. Upper Surface, .6 m below Tuff If at top of Bed I. Tobias, PV. 1991. The Skulls, endocasts and teeth of Homo habilis. Cambridge: University Press. Large unworn right L. M3. "Direct evidence as to the original position of the tooth was ... not obtained but, on the basis of the adhering matrix, which is indistinguishable from the limestone nodules overlying Tuff IF, it can be assumed to have come from the base of Bed II..." (Tobias, 1991:848). Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 142 - M. D. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Found embedded in small nodule of calcareous concretion. Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus boisei No
OH 27 3742 37 - HWK EE R-M 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 3 meters below Tuff IF Surface. Tobias, PV. 1991. The Skulls, endocasts and teeth of Homo habilis. Cambridge: University Press. Lower M3, unworn. "It is not possible to indicate more than broadly the original position of this tooth, since the clays above and below Tuff IF, as well as the Sandy Conglomerate, are all fossiliferous in this areaand yield mammalian teeth in a similar state of preservation to the hominid molar...the tooth was derived from either Upper Bed I or Lower Bed II" (Tobias, 1991:849). Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis No
OH 38 3753 22 - SC R-M , I , I 1971 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Upper >IID Fluvo-lacustrine Leakey, M.D. 1978. Olduvai fossil hominids:their stratigraphic positions and associations. In: Jolly, CJ, editor. Early hominids of Africa. London:Duckworth. P. 3-16. Molar is right M2. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 142 - M. D. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus boisei No
OH 44 3759 5 - FLK R-M 1970 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Zinjanthropus floor Surface. Leakey, M.D. 1978. Olduvai fossil hominids:their stratigraphic positions and associations. In: Jolly, CJ, editor. Early hominids of Africa. London:Duckworth. P. 3-16. Specimen is a crown of upper right M1. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 142 - M. D. Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis No
OH 53 3768 19 - SHK R-FEM 1957 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Middle -- Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo No
OH 56 3771 24 - DK L-PAR-f 1976 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Lower -- Three conjoining parietal fragments in region of bregma. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis No
OH 66 3781 7 - FLK North R-P 1998 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania I Upper Surface. Tooth is lower P4. Specimen is pictured on the far right in image 1. Specimen is pictured in bottom left in image 2. No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus boisei No
OH 68 3783 18 - VEK Mand-f, R-P-f 2001 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania II Lower Mandible fragment with unerupted P4 and root of M1. Specimen is pictured in the middle in image 1. Specimen is shown in the middle of the top row in image 2. Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus africanus OH 13-like 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 75 3790 5 - FLK R-HUM 2009 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania I Zinjanthropus 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) No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea hominidae A. cf. africanus/H. habilis OH 62-like No
OH 76 3791 55 - FLK W R-M 2010 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania II Upper? Surface. “Discovered by an Earthwatch project led by F.T. Masao in 2003 and 2004, respectively, and will be described elsewhere.” -R. Clarke (2011) Right upper M1 with roots. No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae 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
OH 81 4021 19 - SHK R-PAR-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Upper Lower portion. In overlying clay tuff. Dominguez-Rodrigo, M., Pickering, T.R., Diez-Martinm, F. et al. (2012) Earliest Porotic Hyperostosis on a 1.5-Million-Year-Old Hominin, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. PLoS ONE 7(10): e46414. doi:10.1371/jou 2012/6/29 292 - Proyecto Olduvai Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae No
OH 82 13063 R-ULNA III Hlusko, L. J., Reiner, W. B., & Njau, J. K. (2015). A one‐million‐year‐old hominid distal ulna from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. American journal of physical anthropology, 158(1), 36-42. right distal ulna 292 - Proyecto Olduvai Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae No
OLD 16262 10159 6 - FLK NN R-TARMET-f I Layer 3 scree Brodkorb P., Mourer-Chauviré, C. 1984. Fossil owls from early man sites of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Ostrich; Journal of African Ornithology 55:17-27. PARATYPE. "Paratypes: The following specimens are from layer 3 of locality FLK NNI and can be attributed to the same individual as the holotype: 15740, premaxillae; 3301, lower part of right coracoid. 15364 and 15473, proximal and distal parts of left femur; 16377, distal part of right femur; 15701, distal part of left tibiotarsus; 15776, left fibula; 16262, proximal part of right tarsometatarsus; 15730, distal part of left tarsometatarsus; 15942, 15946, 16050, 16171, 16174, 16176 to 16180, pedal phalanges. Place of conservation of the material: The fossils are currently on deposit at the University of Florida, Department of Zoology, and will later be returned to Tanzania" (Brodkorb and Mourer-Chauvire, 1984:17, 19). Image notes: (Scale = 2 cm) A-B: Left coracoid, holotype, OLD 15802, FLK NNI, layer 3, A anterior face, B posterior face. C: Right tarsometatarsus, proximal part, paratype, OLD 16262, FLK NNI, scree, anterior face. D: Left tarsometatarsus, distal part, paratype, OLD 15730, FLK NNI, layer 3, anterior face. E-F: Left femur, proximal half, paratype, OLD 15364, FLK NNI, layer 2+3, E anterior face, F Posterior face. G-H: Left femur, distal part, paratype, OLD 15473, FLK NNI, layer 3, G anterior face, H posterior face. I: Left tarsometatarsus, almost complete, OLD 11574, FLK NI, layer 1, anterior face. J-K: Left femur, lacking the distal part, OLD 11586, FLK NI, layer 2, J anterior face, K posterior face. Unknown Aves Strigiformes Strigidae Bubo leakeyae No
OLD 16377 10160 6 - FLK NN R-FEM-f I Layer 3 scree Brodkorb P., Mourer-Chauviré, C. 1984. Fossil owls from early man sites of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Ostrich; Journal of African Ornithology 55:17-27. PARATYPE. Distal portion of right femur. "Paratypes: The following specimens are from layer 3 of locality FLK NNI and can be attributed to the same individual as the holotype: 15740, premaxillae; 3301, lower part of right coracoid. 15364 and 15473, proximal and distal parts of left femur; 16377, distal part of right femur; 15701, distal part of left tibiotarsus; 15776, left fibula; 16262, proximal part of right tarsometatarsus; 15730, distal part of left tarsometatarsus; 15942, 15946, 16050, 16171, 16174, 16176 to 16180, pedal phalanges. Place of conservation of the material: The fossils are currently on deposit at the University of Florida, Department of Zoology, and will later be returned to Tanzania" (Brodkorb and Mourer-Chauvire, 1984:17, 19). Image notes: (Scale = 2 cm) A-B: Left coracoid, holotype, OLD 15802, FLK NNI, layer 3, A anterior face, B posterior face. C: Right tarsometatarsus, proximal part, paratype, OLD 16262, FLK NNI, scree, anterior face. D: Left tarsometatarsus, distal part, paratype, OLD 15730, FLK NNI, layer 3, anterior face. E-F: Left femur, proximal half, paratype, OLD 15364, FLK NNI, layer 2+3, E anterior face, F Posterior face. G-H: Left femur, distal part, paratype, OLD 15473, FLK NNI, layer 3, G anterior face, H posterior face. I: Left tarsometatarsus, almost complete, OLD 11574, FLK NI, layer 1, anterior face. J-K: Left femur, lacking the distal part, OLD 11586, FLK NI, layer 2, J anterior face, K posterior face. Unknown Aves Strigiformes Strigidae Bubo leakeyae No
OLD 1951 315 BK II 8273 10 - BK R-CAL 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II -- Right calcaneus. 2012/08/10 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD 1952/316 BK II 8274 10 - BK R-MTT-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II -- Proximal end of second right metatarsal. In BM loan collection. 2012/08/10 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD 1957/1203 SHK II E 8198 62 - SHK E R-FEM 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II -- Proximal end of right femur including head and greater trochanter and part of shaft. In BM loan collection. 2012/08/02 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD 1957/155 BK II Ex 8054 10 - BK R-I 1957 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. Right second incisor. 2012/7/23 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cercopithecinae Papionini No
OLD 1957/286 SWK II 8272 33 - SWK R-MTT 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II -- Third right metatarsal. Complete. In BM loan collection. 2012/08/10 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD 1960 F200 3714 5 - FLK R-MAN-f, d-P, M 1960 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) I Harris, J. M., Solounias, N., and Geraads, D. 2010. Giraffoidea. Werdelin, L., Sanders, W. J., eds. In: Cenozoic Mammals of Africa. London: University of California Press. pp. 393-428. 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. 155 - Harris, Solounias, and Geraads 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Giraffoidea Giraffidae Giraffinae Giraffini Giraffa pygmaea Paratype No
OLD 3301 10157 6 - FLK NN R-COR-f I Layer 3 Brodkorb P., Mourer-Chauviré, C. 1984. Fossil owls from early man sites of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Ostrich; Journal of African Ornithology 55:17-27. PARATYPE. "Paratypes: The following specimens are from layer 3 of locality FLK NNI and can be attributed to the same individual as the holotype: 15740, premaxillae; 3301, lower part of right coracoid. 15364 and 15473, proximal and distal parts of left femur; 16377, distal part of right femur; 15701, distal part of left tibiotarsus; 15776, left fibula; 16262, proximal part of right tarsometatarsus; 15730, distal part of left tarsometatarsus; 15942, 15946, 16050, 16171, 16174, 16176 to 16180, pedal phalanges. Place of conservation of the material: The fossils are currently on deposit at the University of Florida, Department of Zoology, and will later be returned to Tanzania" (Brodkorb and Mourer-Chauvire, 1984:17, 19). Image notes: (Scale = 2 cm) A-B: Left coracoid, holotype, OLD 15802, FLK NNI, layer 3, A anterior face, B posterior face. C: Right tarsometatarsus, proximal part, paratype, OLD 16262, FLK NNI, scree, anterior face. D: Left tarsometatarsus, distal part, paratype, OLD 15730, FLK NNI, layer 3, anterior face. E-F: Left femur, proximal half, paratype, OLD 15364, FLK NNI, layer 2+3, E anterior face, F POSterior face. G-H: Left femur, distal part, paratype, OLD 15473, FLK NNI, layer 3, G anterior face, H posterior face. I: Left tarsometatarsus, almost complete, OLD 11574, FLK NI, layer 1, anterior face. J-K: Left femur, lacking the distal part, OLD 11586, FLK NI, layer 2, J anterior face, K posterior face. Unknown Aves Strigiformes Strigidae Bubo leakeyae No
OLD 61/2975 MPC I KNM 2.95 8114 VER-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I -- Vertebral fragment. Pleistocene. 2012/07/27 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 62 DK I A Surf. 2967 8144 24 - DK R-HUM-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I A? Surface. -- Distal end of right humerus. Pleistocene. 2012/07/30 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD 63 DKI II/4 3050 8083 24 - DK R-MAN, P, M 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania -- Right mandibular corpus with P3-M3. Probably same individual as 283. Genus indeterminate. Simopithecus? 2012/07/25 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 63/103 DK I L/2 8117 24 - DK R-HUM-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 2 Strip I -- Proximal end of right humerus with portion of shaft. 2012/07/27 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 63/234 DK I 8129 24 - DK R-M-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 2 Strip I -- Part of lower right third molar of worn tooth. Pleistocene. Strip I L/2. Card in bag states "Probably same genus and species as 3050 and probably same individual as scree T.T. specimen in 1961 [?]." 2012/07/27 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 63/3064 8130 R-C 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania -- Crown of R upper canine. Subadult? Card in bag states "OLD '63 DK I strip II L/2 3064 Cercopithecoidea,Cercopithecidae, Cynocephalinae." Other card in bag states "Not typical of Simopithecus but in certain respects resembles baboon and is almost certainly part of same individual as 283, 3050, 4372 it may be a new genus." "Papio?" 2012/07/27 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OLD 68/S.9 opp. S.C. IV S ? IV. C KNM 2.4.3 8066 22 - SC CRA-f, R-ZYG-f, L/R-MAX, R/L-M, R/L-P, R/L-C-f 1968 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania IV Surface? -- 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. Partial cranium: Left and right maxillae and right zygomatic fragment present. Right and left M1-3, P 3-4, and canines present. Crown of left canine broken off. Only root of right canine is preserved. Incisors not preserved. Left M3 crown broken off. Buccal side of left M2 crown broken off. Distal portion of buccal side of left M1 crown broken off. Needs preparation. 2012/07/23 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Y Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae 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
OLD BK II East 1953/213 8143 49 - BK E R-HUM-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. Distal end of right humerus. Jolly assigned to Papio,1965. Pleistocene. 2012/07/30 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD FLK NI 26010 10196 7 - FLK North COR-f 1960-2 I Haarhoff, P.J. 1993. Latest Pliocene mousebirds (Aves, Coliidae) from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Ann S Afr Mus. 103:191–211. Incomplete sternal end of coracoid. "The specimen numbers are catalogue numbers of the Olduvai fossil birds, and the data are kept at the Department of Zoology, University of Florida, Gainesville. The fossils belong to the Tanzanian Ministry of Antiquities, Dar es Salaam. They were collected by Mary Leakey in 1960-1962" (Haarhoff, 1993:). Unknown Aves Coliiformes Coliidae Urocoliinae Urocolius No
OLD G/13 Simopith? 8203 72 - FLK Maiko Gully R-FEM-f 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I G/13? -- Long bone shaft fragment (right femur shaft?) Card in bag with specimen states "LSB Leakey `60 Field NO: 067/3684 FLK I OLD 1960 G/13 Pleistocene". 2012/08/02 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea No
OLD-1000 13319 R-HUM 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-1000; "NG Bed IV Surface 20.V.35"; right distal humerus Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Giraffidae No
OLD-1049 12217 VER-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-1049 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae Yes
OLD-1050 11445 VER-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-1050 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae Yes
OLD-1051 11446 VER-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-1051 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae Yes
OLD-1052 11447 VER-f 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-1052 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Bovidae Yes