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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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3807 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. L3-240 3370 R-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 layer 2 and 3; FLK NI layers 1-6; FLK I Main site. It is unclear where individual specimens were recovered. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Zelotomys leakeyi No
01. R. M2-272 3402 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 layer 2 and 3; FLK NI layers 1-6; FLK I Main site. It is unclear where individual specimens were recovered. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Zelotomys leakeyi No
01. R. L3-272 3404 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 layer 2 and 3; FLK NI layers 1-6; FLK I Main site. It is unclear where individual specimens were recovered. Unknown No
OVPP-Elephantulus 7 2853 7 - FLK North MAX-f, P 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 3 Butler, P., and Greenwood, M. 1976. Elephant-shrews (Macroscelididae) from Olduvai and Makapansgat. In: Fossil Vertebrates of Africa,vol. 4. pp. 1-56. 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Insectivora Macroscelididae Elephantulus fuscus leakeyi No
OVPP-Elephantulus 54 2900 7 - FLK North M 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I 4 Butler, P., and Greenwood, M. 1976. Elephant-shrews (Macroscelididae) from Olduvai and Makapansgat. In: Fossil Vertebrates of Africa,vol. 4. pp. 1-56. 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Insectivora Macroscelididae Elephantulus antiquus No
S. 61 3120 23 - TK CRA-f, MAN-f 1961 104 - Unknown II Leakey, M., and Leakey, R. 1976. Further Cercopithecinae (Mammalia, Primates) from the Plio/Pleistocene of East Africa. Fossil vertebrates of Africa 4:121-146. This specimen is crushed. 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Cercopithecoidea Cercopithecidae Cercopithecinae Papionini Papio sp. No
M. 22407 1571 19 - SHK HUM-f 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. There are two juvenile humerus specimens with the number M. 22407. 273 - Reck expedition Unknown Mammalia Artiodactyla Ruminantia Bovoidea Bovidae Antilopinae Neotragini Phenacotragus recki No
OH 6 3721 5 - FLK 283 - 45 CRA-f , M-f , L-P , L-TIB-f , L-FIB-f , 1959/60 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Middle (Zinj.) Surface. Cranial and dental fragments found in surface soil from slope immediately below Zinj. site; assumed to be from Zinj. level (Leakey, MD, 1971:227). TIB-f and FIB-f from Zinj. level. Davis, P. R. 1964. Hominid fossils from Bed I, Olduvai Gorge, Tanganyika. A tibia and fibula. Nature. 201, 967. From Tobias (1991): OH 35 tibia and fibula attributed to same individual as OH 6 but appear to be more mature. It is unclear if OH 35 tibia and fibula are the same tibia and fibula originally listed under OH 6. Leakey, MD, 1971 describes CRA and dental fragments as having been found in surface soil, but Leakey, Tobias, and Napier, 1964 state "some [were] found in situ [and] some on the surface" (:9). Unworn lower L-P3. Partially developed roots of upper M1 or 2. Six cranial vault fragments. Tibia and fibula fragments first assumed to be associated with Zinjanthropus OH5, but should be considered associates with OH 6 following morphological study (Leakey, MD, 1971:227). and skull fragments. Juvenile. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis Paratype. TIB-f and FIB-f not given taxonomic designation in original publication (Davis, 1964) but named as a paratype in Leakey, Tobias, and Napier, 1964. 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 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
OH 22 3737 73 - VEK/MNK R-MAN-f , R-P , R-M , R-I-f , R-C-f 1968 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania III/IV Surface, indeterminate gravel Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Right half of mandible with roots of I1-C and complete P3-M2. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo cf. erectus 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 28 3743 38 - WK 290 - 36 L-PVG-f , L-FEM-f 1970 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania IV a Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Left femoral shaft and left innominate. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo erectus No
OH 29 3744 76 - JK W M-f 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania III/IVa Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae No
OH 31 3746 14 - HWK E M-f 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Upper Surface 1.5 m below Tuff IF Tobias, PV. 1991. The Skulls, endocasts and teeth of Homo habilis. Cambridge: University Press. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo No
OH 32 3747 27 - MNK M-f 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania II Middle Surface. Broken. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo No
OH 34 3749 76 - JK W FEM , TIB-f 1962 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania III/ IV for Bed IV level = a Leakey MD. (1971) Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3: excavations in Beds I & II 1960-1963. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Femur described as "slender" (Leakey MD, 1971) and shaft of tibia. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo sp. Slender bone No
OH 51 3766 35 - GTC L-MAND-f, L-P, L-M 1974 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania III Surface. -- Mandible fragment with P4 and M1. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo erectus 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 54 3769 72 - FLK Maiko Gully M-f 1969 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Surface. -- Half of lower M1 or M2. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae No
OH 55 3770 78 - FLK S M-f 1976 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Surface. -- Weathered crown of molar. 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 60 3775 5 - FLK M 1982 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I Surface. -- Large M3. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus boisei No
OH 63 3778 6 - FLK NN M 1988 122 - National Museum and House of Culture, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I "Found near the OH 7 site" -R. Clarke 2011. Specimen is a lower molar. Specimen previously housed at National Museum of Kenya. 264 - Leakey family expedition Unknown Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus No
OH 65 3780 82 - 64 MAX , TOOTH 1995 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania I Middle/Upper Blumenschine, R. J., Peters, C. R., Masao, F. T., et al. 2003. Late Pliocene Homo and Hominid Land Use from Western Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Science 299, 1217-1221. Author describes specimen as "complete maxilla with all teeth and lower face of adult". Specimen is pictured in images 1-11. (Images from R. Clarke 2011). Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homininae Hominini Homo habilis Large habilis No
OH 67 3782 14 - HWK E M-f 2001 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania II Lowermost Surface. Upper adult fragment. Specimen is pictured on top right in image 1. No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Homo or Australopithecus 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 70 3785 80 - MCK L-M-f 2002 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania II Lower Distrobuccal portion of upper M1 crown. Specimen is pictured on bottom right of image 1. Yes Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus africanus OH 24-like No
OH 74 3789 72 - FLK Maiko Gully L-M 2007 127 - National Natural History Museum, Arusha, Tanzania I ID above Surface. Left M2, unerupted. Specimen is pictured second from the bottom left in image 1. Specimen is shown on right in image 2. No Mammalia Primates Anthropoidea Haplorhini Hominoidea Hominidae Australopithecus boisei 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 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
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
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
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
OVPP-Otomys 4 3858 6 - FLK NN CRA-f, M, (n=3) I 3 Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Cranium has left and right upper M123. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 5 3859 5 - FLK MAN-f, (n=41), M, (n=143) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Mandible fragments have M1-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. Paper is a systematical study and does not provide specific details about each specimen. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 6 3860 5 - FLK MAN-f, (n=78), M, (n=156) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Mandible 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. Paper is a systematical study and does not provide specific details about each specimen. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 7 3861 5 - FLK MAN-f, (n=4), M, (n=8) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Mandible 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. Paper is a systematical study and does not provide specific details about each specimen. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 8 3862 5 - FLK MAN-f, (n=61), M, (n=61) I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Mandible 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. Paper is a systematical study and does not provide specific details about each specimen. Unknown Mammalia Rodentia Myomorpha Myodonta Muroidea Muridae Murinae Otomyini Otomys petteri No
OVPP-Otomys 9 3863 5 - FLK MAN-f, M I Denys, C. 1989. Phylogenetic affinities of the oldest East African Otomys (Rodentia, Mammalia) from Olduvai Bed I (Pleistocene, Tanzania). Neues Jahrbuch f Mandible fragment has 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