Louis Leakey

Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey (August 7, 1903–October 1, 1972) was a British archaeologist whose work was important in establishing human evolutionary development in Africa.

Leakey's Angels

One of Leakey's greatest legacies stems from his role in fostering field research of primates in their natural habitats, which he understood as key to unraveling the mysteries of human evolution. Leakey chose three female researchers, later dubbed 'Leakey's Angels', who each went on to become giants in the field of primatology. Jane Goodall became the first of Leakey's Angels in 1957, when she began her first field study of chimpanzee culture in the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. In 1967, Dian Fossey became Leakey's second Angel, beginning her extended study of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes of Rwanda. In 1971, Biruté Galdikas became the third, when she began field studies of Orangutans in the jungles of Borneo.

Related Topics:
Leakey's Angels - Jane Goodall - 1957 - Chimpanzee - Gombe Stream National Park - Tanzania - 1967 - Dian Fossey - Mountain gorillas - Virunga Volcanoes - Rwanda - 1971 - Biruté Galdikas - Orangutans - Borneo

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