Dr. Richard Erskine Freer Leakey, paleoanthropologist and former head of Kenya’s public service, has passed away at the age of 77. This was announced on January 2 by the President of the country Uhuru Kenyatta on his website.
“Dr. Leakey, an internationally renowned Kenyan paleoanthropologist and conservationist, has served our country with distinction over the years in several civil service positions, including as Director of the National Museums of Kenya and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kenya Wildlife Service,” wrote Mr. Kenyatta.
The President of Kenya noted that Leakey, in addition to an outstanding career in the civil service, is known for his social activities: he founded and successfully managed a number of institutions, including the environmental organization WildlifeDirect.
On behalf of the people of Kenya, his family and himself, the President expressed condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Dr. Richard Leakey.
Richard Leakey was born in Nairobi on December 19, 1944. His parents are British paleontologists Mary and Louis Leakey. In 1960, they discovered the first remains of the proto-human species Homo habilis (“Homo habilis”) in northern Tanzania.
Like his parents, Richard worked as a photographer and guide, accompanied tourists to nature reserves, and helped organize filming. I did not think about scientific activity, but since 1964 I started searching for the remains of ancient people, organized several expeditions.
In 1972, Richard Leakey and his wife Maeve discovered the skull of a Rudolfian man (Homo rudolfensis) on the shores of Lake Turkana. In 1984, Leakey discovered the skeleton of a so-called Turkana boy on Lake Turkana.
Leakey was active in politics, founded the political party of green and center-left orientation “Safina”. In 1994 he was awarded the Hubbard Medal of the United States National Geographic Society (highest honor) for outstanding geographical discoveries.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
