Olduvai Gorge: cradle of mankind in Tanzania
Tanzania's 2-million-year-old Olduvai Gorge yielded Homo habilis tools and Paranthropus fossils in layered time.
Leakey family decades in the gorge
From the 1930s Louis and Mary Leakey worked 50 years in a 50 kilometer gorge cutting 100 meter layers that span 2 million years of savanna, lakes and ash.
In 1964 they named Homo habilis from a 1.9 million year jaw and 1.8 million year Oldowan choppers, with over 3000 tools found within 500 meters of camp.
Habilis Paranthropus and 2 million year layers
Paranthropus boisei with 500 cubic centimeter brains and huge 4 centimeter molars lived beside habilis with 650 cubic centimeter brains eating different foods 1.8 million years ago.
Seven beds from 2.1 million to 15000 years show footprints 3.6 million years old nearby at Laetoli, making the 14 kilometer gorge the textbook cradle of mankind.
- Layers span 2 million years of history
- Homo habilis 1.9 million years with tools
- Paranthropus 500 cubic centimeter brain
- 3000 Oldowan tools near one camp
- Laetoli footprints 3.6 million years old