Math and Science Week!
aseantoo submitted to medievalpoc:
Kamoya Kimeu
Yet another Paleontologist of Color! And a really important one, too,
Kamoya Kimeu (c. 1940-) began life in Kenya as a peasant, but was hired as a labourer on the paleontology expeditions of Louis and Mary Leakey. As soon as he got over the taboo of digging up human remains (associated with witchcraft in his culture), he distinguished himself as a particular talent for discovering and identifying fossils.
He went on to become the right-hand man for Richard Leakey‘s expeditions, then took over operations, and was named the National Museums of Kenya’s curator for all prehistoric sites in Kenya.
His discoveries include a nearly complete Homo habilis skeleton in 1959, as well as Turkana Boy, the most complete Homo erectus skeleton ever found, in 1984.Two fossil primates have been named after him: Kamoyapithecus hamiltoni and Cercopithecoides kimeui.
Sadly, almost all the credit for Kenyan paleoanthropology has gone to the British-born Leakey family. Let’s change that, shall we?
Math and Science Week!
aseantoo submitted to medievalpoc:
Kamoya Kimeu
Yet another Paleontologist of Color! And a really important one, too,
Kamoya Kimeu (c. 1940-) began life in Kenya as a peasant, but was hired as a labourer on the paleontology expeditions of Louis and Mary Leakey. As soon as he got over the taboo of digging up human remains (associated with witchcraft in his culture), he distinguished himself as a particular talent for discovering and identifying fossils.
He went on to become the right-hand man for Richard Leakey‘s expeditions, then took over operations, and was named the National Museums of Kenya’s curator for all prehistoric sites in Kenya.
His discoveries include a nearly complete Homo habilis skeleton in 1959, as well as Turkana Boy, the most complete Homo erectus skeleton ever found, in 1984.Two fossil primates have been named after him: Kamoyapithecus hamiltoni and Cercopithecoides kimeui.
Sadly, almost all the credit for Kenyan paleoanthropology has gone to the British-born Leakey family. Let’s change that, shall we?
