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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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410 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
01. R. K-536 3677 R-MAX-f, M 104 - Unknown I Jaeger, J.J. 1976. Les rongeurs (Mammalia, Rodentia) du Pleistocene inferieur d’Olduvai Bed I (Tanzanie) 1ere Partie: Les Murides. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:58-120. This species is found at FLK NNI layers 2 and 3; FLK NI layers 1-6; FLK I. It is unclear where individual specimens were recovered. 153 - J. Jaeger Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Aethomys lavocati No
01. R. K-537 3678 R-MAX-f, M 104 - Unknown I Jaeger, J.J. 1976. Les rongeurs (Mammalia, Rodentia) du Pleistocene inferieur d’Olduvai Bed I (Tanzanie) 1ere Partie: Les Murides. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:58-120. This species is found at FLK NNI layers 2 and 3; FLK NI layers 1-6; FLK I. It is unclear where individual specimens were recovered. 153 - J. Jaeger Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Aethomys lavocati No
01. R. M4-561 3692 R-MAX-f, M 104 - Unknown I Jaeger, J.J. 1976. Les rongeurs (Mammalia, Rodentia) du Pleistocene inferieur d’Olduvai Bed I (Tanzanie) 1ere Partie: Les Murides. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:58-120. This species is found at FLK NNI layers 2 and 3; FLK NI layers 1-6; FLK I. It is unclear where individual specimens were recovered. 153 - J. Jaeger Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Aethomys lavocati No
OH 11 3726 24 - DK 285 - 13 PAL , L-MAX-f , TOOTH-f 1962 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Ndutu Lower Found in stream bed at bottom of gully near DK excavations. See curatorial notes for details. Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Left half of palate and maxillary arch, crowns of teeth not preserved. "It is thus impossible to assign to any stratigraphic level, although the condition of the bone, which bears a pinkish tinge, is similar to that seen in fossil bones from a conglomerate at the head of the DK gully belonging to the lower Ndutu Beds" (Leakey MD, 1971:230). Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 154 - Leakey and Leakey 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo sp. 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
OVPP-Otomys 11 3865 5 - FLK MAX-f, (n=16), M, (n=48) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Maxillary fragments have M1, M2 and M3. Author states that specimens come from FLKI, FLKNNI layers K, L2, L3, FLKNI layers M1-M6 but does not specify which specimen came from where. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 12 3866 5 - FLK MAX-f, (n=15), M, (n=30) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Maxilla fragments have M1 and M2. Author states that specimens come from FLKI, FLKNNI layers K, L2, L3, FLKNI layers M1-M6 but does not specify which specimen came from where. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 13 3867 5 - FLK MAX-f, (n=12), M, (n=24) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Maxilla fragments have M2 and M3. Author states that specimens come from FLKI, FLKNNI layers K, L2, L3, FLKNI layers M1-M6 but does not specify which specimen came from where. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 14 3868 5 - FLK MAX-f, (n=9), M, (n=9) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Maxilla fragments have M1. Author states that specimens come from FLKI, FLKNNI layers K, L2, L3, FLKNI layers M1-M6 but does not specify which specimen came from where. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 15 3869 5 - FLK MAX-f, (n=22), M, (n=22) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Maxilla fragments have M2. Author states that specimens come from FLKI, FLKNNI layers K, L2, L3, FLKNI layers M1-M6 but does not specify which specimen came from where. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 16 3870 5 - FLK MAX-f, (n=5) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Maxilla fragments have M3. Author states that specimens come from FLKI, FLKNNI layers K, L2, L3, FLKNI layers M1-M6 but does not specify which specimen came from where. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Ichneumia 1 3905 7 - FLK North L-MAX-f, P, (n=2) I 4 -- Specimen is a fragment of left maxilla with P3 and P4. Unknown Mammalia Carnivora Feliformia Herpestidae Herpestinae Ichneumia albicauda No
2609 3943 MAX, P, (n=4), M, (M=2) II Petter, G. 1973. Carnivores Pleistocenes du ravin d’Olduvai (Tanzanie). Fossil vertebrates of Africa 3:43-100. Author lists specimen in an assemblage that is described as coming from FLK N, FLK NN, and MNK but does not specifically assign site. Specimen is pictured in image 1. 157 - L. Hlusko 2012/6/28 Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae No
OVPP-Gentryi 1 3965 5 - FLK MAN-f, (n=114), M, (n=62), MAX, (n=53) I Specimens were found from all FLK sites Denys, C. 1989. Two new gerbillids (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Mandible assemblage consists of 14 with M/123 and 100 with M/12 or M/1 or M/2. Isolated molar assemblage consists of 14 M/1 and 16 M1/. Maxilla assemblage consists of 52 with M12/ or M1/ and one with M123/. 157 - L. Hlusko 2012/6/28 Unknown Mammalia Carnivora No
OVPP-Otomys 20 3967 5 - FLK MAN-f, (n=185), M, (n=187), MAX-f, (n=80) I K,1,2,3; M1-6 Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Mandible assemblage consists of 41 with M/123, 78 with M/12, 4 with M/23, 61 with M/1, 1 with M/2. Molar assemblage consists of 62 M/1, 28 M1/, 26 M2/ and 71 M3/. Maxilla assemblage consists of 16 with M123/, 13 with M12/, 12 with M23/, 22 with M2/, 5 with M3/. 157 - L. Hlusko 2012/6/28 Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys No
OVPP-L-25 3992 MAX-f, M 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania -- No original specimen label. Box #: OLD87. 157 - L. Hlusko 2012/6/29 Unknown Y Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae No
OVPP-L-34 4001 MAX, TOOTH 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania -- Specimen label: OLD-88-255-1?. Box #: OLD881-E. Maxilla (?) with teeth. 157 - L. Hlusko 2012/6/29 Unknown Y Mammalia Perissodactyla Hippomorpha Equidae No
OVPP-L-56 4024 MAX-f, M 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania -- No specimen label. Box #: OLD881-E. 157 - L. Hlusko 2012/6/29 Unknown Y Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae No
OVPP-L-67 4035 MAX-f, M 126 - Mary Leakey Camp, Antiquities Station Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania -- Specimen label: OLD-88-229-2-S. Box #: OLD881-E. 157 - L. Hlusko 2012/6/29 Unknown Y Mammalia Perissodactyla Ceratomorpha Tapiromorpha Rhinocerotoidea Rhinocerotidae 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 103882 12868 R-MAX, R-P, R-M (3) 114 - Natural History Museum UK -- OLD-761; right maxilla with P4-M3 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Bovini/Hippotragini Yes
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
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
VFK III-IV 350 1067 44 - VFK SKULL, L/R-HOR, MAN, MAX 105 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (?) III 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 29, figure 2. 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 Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Damaliscus agelaius Holotype No
OVPP-Bitis 13 1940 5 - FLK L-MAX 104 - Unknown I middle (Zinjanthropus) 22 feet below the upper limit of bed I. Rage J. 1973. Fossil snakes from Olduvai, Tanzania. In: Fossil vertebrates of Africa, vol. 3:1-6. This specimen is pictured in Plate 1, figures 5-8. 149 - J. C. Rage Yes Reptilia Squamata Viperidae Bitis olduvaiensis Holotype No
01. R. L3-95 3121 6 - FLK NN R-MAX-f, M 104 - Unknown I 3 Jaeger, J.J. 1976. Les rongeurs (Mammalia, Rodentia) du Pleistocene inferieur d’Olduvai Bed I (Tanzanie) 1ere Partie: Les Murides. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:58-120. This specimen is pictured in plate 1, figure A. 153 - J. Jaeger Yes Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Oenomys olduvaiensis Holotype No
01. R. K-199 3124 5 - FLK R-MAX-f, M 104 - Unknown I middle (Zinjanthropus) 22 feet below the upper limit of bed I. Jaeger, J.J. 1976. Les rongeurs (Mammalia, Rodentia) du Pleistocene inferieur d’Olduvai Bed I (Tanzanie) 1ere Partie: Les Murides. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:58-120. This specimen is pictured in plate 2, figures A and B. 153 - J. Jaeger Yes Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Arvicanthis primaevus Holotype No
01. R. K-533 3125 5 - FLK R-MAX-f, M 104 - Unknown I middle (Zinjanthropus) 22 feet below the upper limit of bed I. Jaeger, J.J. 1976. Les rongeurs (Mammalia, Rodentia) du Pleistocene inferieur d’Olduvai Bed I (Tanzanie) 1ere Partie: Les Murides. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:58-120. This specimen is pictured in plate 2, figure E. 153 - J. Jaeger Yes Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Aethomys lavocati Holotype No
01. R. M5-222 3126 7 - FLK North R-MAX-f, M 104 - Unknown I 5 Jaeger, J.J. 1976. Les rongeurs (Mammalia, Rodentia) du Pleistocene inferieur d’Olduvai Bed I (Tanzanie) 1ere Partie: Les Murides. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:58-120. This specimen is pictured in plate 2, figure C. 153 - J. Jaeger Yes Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Pelomys dietrichi Holotype No
01. R. L2-2 3127 L-MAX-f, M 104 - Unknown I Jaeger, J.J. 1976. Les rongeurs (Mammalia, Rodentia) du Pleistocene inferieur d’Olduvai Bed I (Tanzanie) 1ere Partie: Les Murides. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:58-120. This specimen is pictured in plate 3, figures A and B. This species is found at FLK NI, layers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; FLK NNI, layers 1, 2, and 3; FLK I, Zinjanthropus layer. It is unclear where individual specimens come from, however. 153 - J. Jaeger Yes Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Mus petteri Holotype No
01. R. K-314 3130 5 - FLK R-MAX-f, M 104 - Unknown I middle (Zinjanthropus) 22 feet below the upper limit of bed I. Jaeger, J.J. 1976. Les rongeurs (Mammalia, Rodentia) du Pleistocene inferieur d’Olduvai Bed I (Tanzanie) 1ere Partie: Les Murides. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:58-120. This specimen is pictured in plate 3, figure D. 153 - J. Jaeger Yes Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Zelotomys leakeyi 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
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
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
1931 II 1247 8439 L-MAX, R-MAX-f, L/d-P, L-M 1913 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany Black E. 1937. Fossil Antelopes of Olduvai. Scientific results of the Olduvai Expedition 1913:8-104. Label/Publication Taxon ID: Gorgon taurinus semiticus. Reck Field No.: E 139. L max P3-M3. Frags of R max in matrix. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli Inventoried by Faysal Bibi in 2012. No
1931 II 874 8448 R-MAN, or, MAX? 1913 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany Black E. 1937. Fossil Antelopes of Olduvai. Scientific results of the Olduvai Expedition 1913:61. Label/Publication Taxon ID: Gorgon taurinus semiticus. Reck Field No.: IV 29. Too small for Megalotragus. Alv only P4-M3. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Inventoried by Faysal Bibi in 2012. No
1931 II 900 8449 R-MAN, or, MAX? 1913 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany -- Label/Publication Taxon ID: Gorgon taurinus semiticus. Reck Field No.: XVI 1363. Anterior fragment at symphysis, no teeth. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli Inventoried by Faysal Bibi in 2012. No
1931 II 1155 8450 L-MAN, or, MAX? 1913 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany Black E. 1937. Fossil Antelopes of Olduvai. Scientific results of the Olduvai Expedition 1913:61. Label/Publication Taxon ID: Gorgon taurinus semiticus. Reck Field No.: XV 1129. Anterior fragment w symphysis. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli Inventoried by Faysal Bibi in 2012. No
1931 II 1156 8451 L-MAN, or, MAX? 1913 116 - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie (BSPG), Munich, Germany Black E. 1937. Fossil Antelopes of Olduvai. Scientific results of the Olduvai Expedition 1913:61. Label/Publication Taxon ID: Gorgon taurinus semiticus. Reck Field No.: XV 1129. Anterior fragment w symphysis. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Alcelaphinae Alcelaphini Megalotragus kattwinkeli Inventoried by Faysal Bibi in 2012. No