Tributes to Richard Leakey
Marta Mirazón Lahr
Richard Leakey, the Turkana Basin, and new frontiers of paleoanthropological discoveries
One of the most important of Richard Leakey’s many legacies is the establishment of the Turkana Basin as one of the major palaeontological and archaeological areas of the world. But this legacy goes beyond his discovery of Koobi Fora and all his and subsequent work around the basin. Richard supported and inspired exploration and discovery, as well as the building of collections and the institutions that curate them. In this talk, I will discuss the role of rich areas, such as Turkana, in the building of models of human evolution, use our work in Turkana, and Richard’s influence on how it developed, to illustrate the potential of rich sites to challenge some long-standing views, and end with a call for new sites, new areas and new challenges.
Louise Leakey
Six decades - the search for fossils at Lake Turkana
An overview of the discoveries and expeditions of the Koobi Fora Research Project in the Turkana Basin.
Fredrick Kyalo Manthi
Dr. Richard Leakey’s role in advancing paleosciences in Kenya
Prehistory research in eastern Africa is synonymous with the family of Louis and Mary Leakey. In Kenya, paleontological and archaeological explorations were initiated by Louis and Mary Leakey in the late 1920’s but it was Louis and Mary Leakey’s son, Dr. Richard Leakey (1944-2022), who led some of the most successful fossil hunting explorations in Kenya that recovered a large wealth of fossils remains attributable to genera, Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo. Dr. R. Leakey’s passion for prehistory research influenced many people across the globe. Further, his passion for laying a strong foundation for paleosciences in Kenya and across the World was unrivalled.
Dino J. Martins
An overview of research in the Turkana Basin: past, present & future
Dr. Richard Leakey's vision for science grew from the pioneering work in Turkana to engage with and address questions about our origins, survival and future. This talk will cover some of the big questions and debates through time and the growing research in the Turkana Basin.
Bernard Wood
A very consequential paleoanthropologist
Although Richard Leakey liked to stress his lack of formal education and training in paleoanthropology, this talk will emphasize that his contributions to human origins research were not just evidential. His intellectual curiosity was infectious, and by deliberately gathering like-minded colleagues around him, he is indirectly responsible for an impressive range of research initiatives, many of which continue to this day.
Patricia Wright
Richard Leakey: Wildlife warrior, conservation hero
Patricia Wright, Distinguished Service Professor, Herrnstein Professor of Conservation Biology, and the Founder and Executive Director of Centre ValBio, talks about how she was inspired by Richard Leakey.