Six Decades - The Search for Fossils at Lake Turkana
Dr. Louise Leakey provides an overview of the discoveries and expeditions of the Koobi Fora Research Project in the Turkana Basin.
Richard Leakey dedicated his life to unraveling the mysteries of our ancient past. Through his extensive research, archeological discoveries and advocacy efforts, he has shaped our understanding of human origins and inspired a new generation of scientists.
Louise Leakey, third-generation Kenyan paleoanthropologist and daughter of Richard Leakey, delivered a public lecture entitled “Six Decades — The Search for Fossils at Lake Turkana” on June 5, 2023, as part of the week-long Richard Leakey Memorial Conference, “AFRICA: The Human Cradle."
Dr. Louise Leakey
Stony Brook University, Turkana Basin Institute, National Geographic Explorer
Louise Leakey spent much of her youth on field expeditions, learned to fly, and then went on to receive a B.Sc. in Geology and Biology at the University of Bristol and a Ph.D. at University College, London.
Louise is a research professor in the Department of Anthropology in Stony Brook University’s College of Arts and Sciences, and leads the Koobi Fora Research Project, doing fieldwork at Lake Turkana. She also serves as the Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Turkana Basin Institute. The Koobi Fora Research Project continues to make new discoveries of our ancestors.
In this lecture, she presented the findings of the past six decades of fieldwork at Lake Turkana, interspersed with anecdotes from her family and colleagues.