Meave G. Leakey (born Meave Epps; 28 July 1942) is a British
palaeoanthropologist. She works at
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...
and is co-ordinator of
Plio-Pleistocene
The Plio-Pleistocene is an informally described geological pseudo-period, which begins about 5 million years ago (Mya) and, drawing forward, combines the time ranges of the formally defined Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs—marking from about 5&n ...
research at the Turkana Basin Institute. She studies early
hominid
The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); '' Gorilla'' (the ...
evolution and has done extensive field research in the
Turkana Basin
An '' Acacia'' tree in the Kokiselei river, northern Kenya
The greater Turkana Basin in East Africa (mainly northwestern Kenya and southern Ethiopia, smaller parts of eastern Uganda and southeastern South Sudan) determines a large endorheic bas ...
. She has Doctor of Philosophy
and
Doctor of Science
A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world.
Africa
Algeria and Morocco
In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
degrees.
Flat-faced man of Kenya
Leakey's research team at
Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana () is a saline lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley, in northern Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. By volume it is the world ...
,
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
made a discovery in 1999. They found a 3.5-million-year-old
skull
The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate.
In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...
and partial
jaw
The jaws are a pair of opposable articulated structures at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth ...
thought to belong to a new branch of the early human family. She named the find ''
Kenyanthropus platyops'' ("flat-faced man of Kenya").
Personal life
Leakey was married to
Richard Leakey
Richard Erskine Frere Leakey (19 December 1944 – 2 January 2022) was a Kenyan paleoanthropologist, conservationist and politician. Leakey held a number of official positions in Kenya, mostly in institutions of archaeology and wildlife cons ...
, a
palaeontologist
Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...
. They have two children, Louise (born 1972) and Samira (born 1974).
Louise Leakey
Princess Louise de Merode (''née'' Leakey, born 21 March 1972) is a Kenyan paleontologist and anthropologist. She conducts research and field work on human fossils in Eastern Africa.
Early life and education
Louise Leakey was born in Nairobi, ...
continues family traditions by conducting palaeontological research.
Leakey initially studied
zoology
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
and
marine zoology
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine current power
* Marine debris
* Marine energy
* Marine habitats
* Mar ...
at the
University of North Wales. Her first contact with the Leakey family was working for the
Tigoni Primate Research Centre while studying for her PhD. At this time, the centre was being administered by
Louis Leakey
Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey (7 August 1903 – 1 October 1972) was a Kenyan-British palaeoanthropologist and archaeologist whose work was important in demonstrating that humans evolved in Africa, particularly through discoveries made at Olduvai ...
.
She received her PhD in zoology in 1968.
In 2004, she was awarded an honorary
D.Sc.
A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world.
Africa
Algeria and Morocco
In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
from
University College
In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies f ...
, London,
for palaeontology. That same year, she received the Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a nonprofit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest-achieving people in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet one ano ...
. Leakey is currently a Research Professor for the
Turkana Basin Institute (affiliated with
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...
).
On 30 April 2013, Leakey was elected as a Foreign Associate of the US
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
, with specialities of geology and
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
.
This made Leakey the first Kenyan citizen and also the first woman citizen of an African country to be elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
She was elected to the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...
in 2017.
Position in the Leakey family
Selected publications
*
*''Lothagam: The Dawn of Humanity in Eastern Africa'' by John Harris and Meave Leakey, Eds. (December 2001).
*
*''Stratigraphy and Paleontology of Pliocene and Pleistocene Localities West of Lake Turkana, Kenya'' by John Harris, Meave Leakey, Eds. et al. (October 1988).
*
*
See also
*
Meave (Irish name)
*
List of fossil sites
This list of fossil sites is a worldwide list of localities known well for the presence of fossils. Some entries in this list are notable for a single, unique find, while others are notable for the large number of fossils found there. Many of ...
''(with link directory)''
*
List of hominina (hominid) fossils ''(with images)''
References
External links
Leakey FoundationKoobi Fora Research ProjectTurkana Basin Institute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leakey, Meave
1942 births
Living people
20th-century British anthropologists
20th-century British archaeologists
21st-century British anthropologists
21st-century British archaeologists
Archaeologists from London
British expatriates in Kenya
British women anthropologists
British women archaeologists
English anthropologists
Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences
Meave
Members of the American Philosophical Society
Paleoanthropologists
British women paleontologists
Fellows of the African Academy of Sciences