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The Leakey Foundation

@leakeyfoundation.org
914 followers 79 following 54 posts

We're a nonprofit on a mission to explore and explain the human story. We're here to make friends and talk about science.

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Zoë Goldsborough @zoegoldsborough.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Imagine you are a white-faced capuchin monkey on Jicarón island learning how to use stone tools 🔨 Your mother does not use tools, so who do you turn to as a model? Our new manuscript answering this question is out now in Animal Behaviour @asab.org. doi.org/10.1016/j.an.... A 🧵 of our findings (1/10)
A juvenile white-faced capuchin monkey eating a coconut. Photo credits Christian Ziegler
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 10/02/2026
A fire rescue division chief shares how understanding human origins made her a better leader. How has your interest in human origins changed your perspective? We'd love to hear! @firefighternation.bsky.social www.firefighternation.com/fire-leaders...
firefighternation.com
Origin Stories, Trauma, and the Firehouse: Learning to Lead with Love
Understanding our personal and professional origin stories is fundamental to strengthening leadership, trust, and resilience among firefighters.
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American Association of Biological Anthropologists @bioanth.org · 26/01/2026
Join us in congratulating our outstanding members who have received the prestigious AABA annual awards for 2026. The 2026 AABA and @leakeyfoundation.org Communication and Outreach Award in Honor of Camilla Smith recipient is Himani Nautiyal!
2026 AABA and Leakey Foundation Communications and Outreach Award in Honor of Camilla Smith. Himani Nautiyal, Howard University. Dr. Nautiyal has been involved in research (as founder and director of the Himalayan Langur Project) and community engagement in the Garhwal Himalayas. She uses YouTube, Instagram, and documentary film to educate and unite science, traditional ecological knowledge, and visual storytelling to convey the realities of human–wildlife coexistence, conservation, and climate change.
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 09/02/2026
Meet our fall 2025 research grant recipients! Thanks to our donors, we awarded grants to 30 scientists exploring fundamental questions about human origins, including 17 PhD candidates at the start of their careers.
leakeyfoundation.org
Introducing the fall 2025 Leakey Foundation research grant recipients
Meet the 30 scientists who received Fall 2025 research grants from The Leakey Foundation to study human origins, evolution, behavior, and survival.
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Science Magazine @science.org · 18/09/2025
Pastoralism remains central to survival in the Turkana of northwest Kenya, where heat and water scarcity pose constant challenges. New research uncovers the genetic signatures that underlie adaptation to arid living in this pastoralist community. Learn more this week: scim.ag/4nxcJbx
Young Turkana herders guide camels across Kenya’s arid landscape near Lake Turkana at sunset.
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Rhianna Drummond-Clarke @savannarhianna.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
🚨New Publication🚨 So happy to have this final chunk of my phd out, and the fruits of my @leakeyfoundation.org research grant 🙉 "arboreal, and especially suspensory, locomotion can be advantageous for foraging in a savannah-mosaic and not just closed forest habitats" #phddone #womeninscience #wild
frontiersin.org
Frontiers | Foraging strategy and tree structure as drivers of arboreality and suspensory behaviour in savannah-dwelling chimpanzees
IntroductionThe association between an open habitat (e.g., savannah-mosaics) and increased terrestriality is central to hypotheses of hominin evolution, espe...
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 29/07/2025
Three ancient human relatives once shared the same valley. Did they meet—and compete? www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Three ancient human relatives once shared the same valley. Did they meet—and compete?
The world’s greatest concentration of ancestral human remains, in South Africa, poses a 2-million-year-old riddle of coexistence
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Bacara Spruit @bacaraspruit.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
Wrapping up my first month in Italy! From exploring collagen yields using NIR, to examining bone surface modifications, running modern specimens through the MALDI-TOF, and learning to interpret collagen signatures—it's been full-on. @leakeyfoundation.org @National Museum, Bloemfontein
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GW Department of Anthropology @gwanthropology.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
Congratulations to CASHP member, Joyce Waweru!
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GW Department of Anthropology @gwanthropology.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
Congratulations to CASHP member, Sims Patton!
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 09/07/2025
Looking for research funding? Is your work relevant to understanding human origins? Our next deadline is July 15! Learn more and apply! #ScienceFunding #HumanEvolution leakeyfoundation.org/grants-schol...
An image with text about applying for a Leakey Foundation research grant. A photo of a grantee in the field holding a fossil is on the right side of the graphic.
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 08/07/2025
🎉 Congratulations to the spring 2025 Leakey Foundation grantees! We'll be sharing more about these amazing scientists and their work as their projects progress. leakeyfoundation.org/introducing-...
leakeyfoundation.org
Introducing the spring 2025 Leakey Foundation grantees
Meet the spring 2025 Leakey Foundation grantees. Their innovative research will shed new light on human origins, evolution, and behavior.
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Maria A Nieves Colón @mitopr.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
My PhD student Emmanuel, co advised with @mcnultylab.bsky.social, is a Baldwin fellow 🎉🍾🙌🏽👏🏽! Thanks Leakey Foundation for supporting these talented scholars :-) learn more about Emmanuel’s work and background here: www.nievescolonlab.org/about-emmanuel
nievescolonlab.org
About 1 — Anthropological Genetics Lab at UMN
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McNulty Lab @mcnultylab.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
Congratulations to the new Baldwin Fellows, including 2 of my students, Penina Kadalida (c/a with Martha Tappen) and Emmanuel Ngetich (c/a with @mitopr.bsky.social)! Thanks to the @leakeyfoundation.org for supporting all of these students and their staunch support for Paleoanthropology!
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 07/07/2025
We're thrilled to announce the 2025 Leakey Foundation Baldwin Fellows! Click through to learn about these 14 scholars and their exciting human origins research. leakeyfoundation.org/announcing-t...
leakeyfoundation.org
Announcing the 2025 Baldwin Fellows
Meet the 2025 Baldwin Fellows! This year, 14 scholars from 11 countries have received fellowships, empowering them to become future leaders.
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Alexandra Rosati @alexrosati.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
Proud of UMich grad student Rosa Muñoz for being awarded an @leakeyfoundation.org grant for her dissertation research on "The evolution and psychology of possession in macaques." Congrats Rosa, and all the new grantees! leakeyfoundation.org/introducing-...
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Elly Lewerissa @ellylewerissa.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
Honored to be a Spring 2025 Leakey Foundation Research Grant recipient. I’m deeply grateful to the @leakeyfoundation.org for supporting research in human origins, and to my supervisor @naelnadifkasri-lab.bsky.social for the invaluable guidance and encourargement. leakeyfoundation.org/introducing-...
leakeyfoundation.org
Introducing the spring 2025 Leakey Foundation grantees
Meet the spring 2025 Leakey Foundation grantees. Their innovative research will shed new light on human origins, evolution, and behavior.
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Marta Pina @martapina.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
#Nakali🇰🇪 🦍⚒️🦴 Thrilled to be awarded a Research Grant from the @leakeyfoundation.org I’m happy to count on a great team, some of them are on @bsky.app 👇🏽 @dmartinperea.bsky.social @albavicente.bsky.social Congratulations to the other amazing awardees 👏🏼 leakeyfoundation.org/introducing-...
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Guilhem Mauran @guilhemmauran.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Second week is over. While first week focused on launching this season dig and field lab, second week led us to some rock art sampling, #ochre outcrop sampling, exciting finds on the dig 🤩 . @justinpargeter.bsky.social with support of @leakeyfoundation.org and PAST.
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Guilhem Mauran @guilhemmauran.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Our two southern African masters students working on #ochre M. Sepamo and P. T. Alfeus collected their raw material for their experimentation and started to learn how to describe them. @justinpargeter.bsky.social @leakeyfoundation.org and PAST.
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Frido Welker @fridowelker.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Incredibly proud that our paper on the #palaeoproteomics analysis of the Penghu mandible, led by @tsutatsuta.bsky.social and in collaboration with Chun-Hsiang Chang, Enrico Cappellini and co, is out now in @science.org! doi.org/10.1126/scie...
doi.org
A male Denisovan mandible from Pleistocene Taiwan
Denisovans are an extinct hominin group defined by ancient genomes of Middle to Late Pleistocene fossils from southern Siberia. Although genomic evidence suggests their widespread distribution through...
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 21/03/2025
Our friends at @ncse.bsky.social have launched a podcast to help combat misinformation, disinformation, and misconceptions about #ClimateChange with actual science. Check it out!
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 19/03/2025
Did Neanderthals eat maggots? High nitrogen in Neanderthal bones doesn’t mean they were uber-carnivores. www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Neanderthals may have eaten maggots as part of their diet
High nitrogen in Neanderthal bones doesn’t mean they were uber-carnivores
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 07/03/2025
Need a last minute #StandUpForScience sign? Head to our website and download our free graphic. We have 3 sizes and 2 colorways. leakeyfoundation.org/stand-up-for...
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Guilhem Mauran @guilhemmauran.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
La Science n a pas à subir les aléas de la politique. La Science aide à avancer vers un monde plus respectueux. @umr5608traces.bsky.social @standupforscifr.bsky.social @standupforscifr.bsky.social @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 04/03/2025
Ever wondered what happens to your grant proposal once you submit it? Join a hands-on “mock review” workshop to learn about review processes at The Leakey Foundation and the Wenner-Gren Foundation. March 12 at #AABA2025. Registration is limited so act fast! @bioanth.org bit.ly/4havY78
bit.ly
AABA Workshop in Baltimore: What happens to my grant proposal? Peek into the process through mock review!
This workshop introduces early career scholars to the grant review process through mock review exercises with experienced panelists and representatives from Leakey and Wenner-Gren. Date and Time: Marc...
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Eslem Ben Arous (She/Her) @eslembenarous.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Thanks a lot @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social for supporting our work! leakeyfoundation.org/earliest-evi...
leakeyfoundation.org
Earliest evidence for humans in rainforests
New research shows that humans lived in African rainforests 150,000 years ago. This is more than twice as early than previously thought.
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 14/02/2025
Live right now! The Origin of Love from our friends at CARTA. Click through to watch! ❤️
youtube.com
CARTA: The Origin of Love
YouTube video by UCTVSeminars
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 12/02/2025
Happy Darwin Day! “There is grandeur in this view of life–that from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”⁠
photograph of Charles Darwin with a white beard, looking straight at the cameraA moody oil painting of Charles Darwin in a deep blue/black cloak holding his hat and looking straight at the viewer.Darwin's "I think" sketch showing a tree of life.
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National Center for Science Education @ncse.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
1 hour left until our Darwin Day Webinar with Katie Hinde begins! TODAY @ 7 ET 4 PT. The event is free and open to the public! If you don't have a link, make sure to register nabt.wufoo.com/forms/m1dcb9... #DarwinDay2025 #2025MMM @mmmletsgo.bsky.social @mammalssuck.bsky.social @nabtbio.bsky.social
Darwin Day 2025 Webinar February 12, with Katie Hinde, The Mastermind behind March Mammal Madness
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 10/02/2025
Can stress help monkeys survive? New research shows that on wild capuchin monkeys with stronger stress responses during previous droughts were more likely to survive an extreme drought. Study by Leakey grantees @sccarrera.bsky.social @irene-godoy.bsky.social @jbeehner.bsky.social & colleagues.
science.org
Stress responsiveness in a wild primate predicts survival across an extreme El Niño drought
White-faced capuchins with a stronger stress response to previous droughts were more likely to survive a severe El Niño drought.
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Seth Chagi (World of Paleoanthropology🏺) @sethchagi.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
@leakeyfoundation.bsky.social youtu.be/sMfQeZpyq-Y?... Happy Birthday Taung! #FossilFriday
youtu.be
The Discovery of the Taung Skull: 100 Years Later with Dr. Mirriam Tawane
YouTube video by The Leakey Foundation
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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
So proud of this #Taung Child special issue from the South African Journal of Science (SAJS). And having our Co-directors Rebecca Ackermann & @pickeringrobyn.bsky.social along with HERI's Lauren Schroeder and UCT's Yonatan Sahle supporting to guest edit the special issue. sajs.co.za/article/view...
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Paige Madison @fossilhistory.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
100 years ago, you could read about the “Fossilized Skull that May Be That of Missing Link” in the NY Times for two cents. Celebrating the Taung Child's centenary: fossilhistory.wordpress.com/2025/02/07/1...
fossilhistory.wordpress.com
100 Years of the Southern Ape
Today we’re celebrating. On February 7, 1925, a paper announced a startling fossil had been uncovered in a South African mine. With the face of a human but the small brain of a chimpanzee, the smal…
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MU-Peter Shimon 🀄 @mu-peter.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
A century ago, a small skull discovered at a South African quarry challenged what we thought we knew about human origins. 50 years later, discovery of Lucy in Ethiopia further transformed our understanding of how we became human.🏺🧪 Watch expert discussion hosted by @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 07/02/2025
This tiny fossilized skull belonged to a 3-year-old child that lived around 2.8 million years ago! Today we’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the announcement of the discovery of the Taung Child, Australopithecus africanus. #onthisday
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Baptiste Sadoughi @bsadoughi.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Extremely grateful to be one of The Leakey Foundation Research Grant Recipients @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social The then young intern in the photo could only have dreamed that his research would one day be supported by this fantastic foundation. Huge thanks to my mentor & collaborators on the project!
leakeyfoundation.org
Introducing the Fall 2024 Leakey Foundation Research Grant Recipients
Introducing the fall 2024 Leakey Foundation Research Grant recipients. Twenty-seven scholars will receive funding to advance knowledge of human origins, evolution, behavior, and survival.
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Bacara Spruit @bacaraspruit.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Proud to announce that I am one of the Fall 2024 Leakey Research Grant Recipients It has been a dream to be funded by the @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social who made my research possible A huge thank you to my supervisors for their encouragement and support leakeyfoundation.org/fall-2024-re...
leakeyfoundation.org
Introducing the Fall 2024 Leakey Foundation Research Grant Recipients
Introducing the fall 2024 Leakey Foundation Research Grant recipients. Twenty-seven scholars will receive funding to advance knowledge of human origins, evolution, behavior, and survival.
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 29/01/2025
We're thrilled to introduce the fall 2024 Francis H. Brown African Scholars! This award recognizes and supports outstanding East African students and researchers whose work is focused on the earth sciences or botany related to human origins. leakeyfoundation.org/fall-2024-fr...
A collage showing four scientists working or looking at the camera.
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melody w young @melodyoungg.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
one of my favorite side projects funded by the @leakeyfoundation.bsky.social and the Duke Lemur Center is finally published today in @royalsocietypublishing.org ! in this study, we compare in vivo grip force to anatomic estimates from eleven species of strepsirrhine lemurs doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
doi.org
Ecomorphological correlates of grasping forces in strepsirrhine primates | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Powerful digital grasping is essential for primates navigating arboreal environments and is often regarded as a defining characteristic of the order. However, in vivo data on primate grip strength are...
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The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org · 16/01/2025
Hi! The Leakey Foundation is on Bluesky! We're a nonprofit that's been funding human origins research and sharing science since 1968. Follow us to explore the human story, get updates from researchers in the field, see fossils and primates, and learn about the latest discoveries.
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