Скачать или смотреть The Fossil Hunter Who Never Stopped Digging. From London to Laetoli: Mary Leakey’s Journey

Mary Leakey (1913–1996) was one of the most influential paleoanthropologists of the 20th century, a scientist whose discoveries transformed our understanding of human evolution. Born in London, she developed an early fascination with archaeology and art, sketching ancient artifacts with precision before she ever held a trowel.

Her life’s work unfolded primarily in East Africa, alongside her husband, Louis Leakey. While their partnership was historic, Mary’s own contributions were immense and independent. She discovered multiple species of early hominins, including Proconsul africanus (an early ape) and Paranthropus boisei (the robust “Nutcracker Man”).

But perhaps her most famous find came in 1976, at Laetoli in Tanzania. There, she and her team uncovered a trail of fossilized footprints preserved in volcanic ash—evidence that early hominins were walking upright 3.6 million years ago. It remains one of the most significant discoveries in anthropology.

Mary was also a meticulous excavator of Stone Age tools, helping to classify entire technological traditions that shed light on early human behavior. Known for her precision and discipline, she ran her digs with rigorous standards and trained generations of scientists.

Despite her monumental achievements, she preferred quiet fieldwork to fame. She often downplayed her role, once saying she simply “dug things up.” Yet her work profoundly reshaped our origin story, grounding it not in Europe, as once thought, but in Africa.

Mary Leakey’s legacy continues through the Leakey family’s ongoing research, but also in the lasting imprint of her discoveries: footprints in ash that bridge millions of years, linking us directly to our ancient ancestors.