Richard Leakey, 77, deceased: paleontologist and protector of elephants – science

This was announced by the services of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Leakey, the second of three sons of Louis and Mary Leakey, both paleontologists and archaeologists, made his name by providing evidence that helped establish humanity’s evolution in Africa.

He had no formal training in archaeology, but he led expeditions in the 1970s that led to groundbreaking discoveries of early human ancestors fossils, including skulls from helpful person.

I put it on the cover Time Magazine. The BBC had him explain human evolution over 7 episodes.

Turkana boy

He and his team made the most famous discovery later, in 1984, while researching Lake Turkana in Kenya. They found an almost complete skeleton of standing man, also known as “Turkana Boy”. It was one of the most complete skeletons of a human ancestor/ancestor.

The young man was 1.63 meters tall and 1.6 million years old.

In 1989, President Daniel arap Moi asked Leakey to lead the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). He launched a vigorous campaign against poaching for elephant ivory and campaigned to protect, among other things, rhinos.

plane crash

His harsh and controversial approach made headlines around the world, including after allowing the Special Armed Forces to use lethal force against poachers caught red-handed. But the approach worked in the sense that it significantly reduced poaching. Leakey also caused an uproar by burning 12 tons of seized ivory in 1989. It became the first in a series of such burns.

The anti-poaching campaign earned him many enemies.

In 1993, his small Cessna crashed in Kenya’s Rift Valley. He lost both legs. Suspected malicious intent has not been proven.

In his later years, Leakey suffered from skin cancer. He also suffered from kidney and liver disease. according to the scientist He continued to grow wine on his farm in the Rift Valley.

It was made public through the services of President Uhuru Kenyatta. Leakey, the second of three sons of Louis and Mary Leakey, both paleontologists and archaeologists, made a name for himself by providing evidence that helped establish the evolution of humanity in Africa. He had no formal training in archaeology, but he led expeditions in the 1970s that led to groundbreaking discoveries of early human fossils, including habilis skulls. The BBC had him explain human evolution over seven episodes, and it was the most famous discovery he and his team made later, in 1984, during a survey in Lake Turkana in Kenya. They found an almost complete skeleton of Homo erectus, also known as “Turkana Boy”. It was one of the most complete skeletons of a human ancestor/ancestor, it was 1.63 meters high and 1.6 million years old. In 1989, President Daniel arap Moi asked Leakey to lead the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). He launched a vigorous campaign against poaching for elephant ivory and campaigned to protect, among other things, rhinos. His harsh and controversial approach became world press, including after allowing special armed forces to use lethal force against poachers who had been caught red-handed. . But the approach worked in the sense that it significantly reduced poaching. Leakey also caused a stir by burning 12 tons of seized ivory in 1989. The first in a series of such burns, the anti-poaching campaign brought him many enemies, and in 1993 his small Cessna crashed in Kenya’s Rift Valley . He lost both legs. Suspected malicious intent has not been proven. In his later years, Leakey suffered from skin cancer. He also suffered from kidney and liver disease. According to Le Monde, he continued to grow wine on his farm in the Rift Valley.