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Enter presentation mode (start the slide show). Science Scientists and Inventors
Science | Year 6 | ScientistsYear and Inventors One | Mary Leakey | Lesson 5
Aim • To understand the life of Mary Leakey and her work about fossils.
Success Criteria • I can describe what I know about the evolution of humans. • I can sort facts about Mary Leakey’s life and work. • I can describe what the fossils found by Mary Leakey tell us about human evolution. Evolution of Humans
ThereEvolution is much is a scientificdiscussion theory, between or scientistsan explanation about ofthe evolutionhow living of things humans. developed Scientists on Earth.analyse It the is supported fossils of earlyby an ancestorsoverwhelming of humans, bank of called evidence. hominins, to find out the stages that led to the evolution of Homo sapiens, or modern-day humans. Evolution explains the changes that occur in a species living in a particular area over time. These changes Althoughare inherited scientists changes sometimes that are disagreepassed on from one aboutgeneration the analysis to another. of particular fossils, they agree on the overall picture of human evolution. How Did Humans Evolve?
Scientists have analysed the DNA of humans and apes, such as chimpanzees. They have found that humans are related to these apes, but humans have not evolved from them. This means that humans and apes shared a common ancestor, but humans evolved separately and differently to the apes.
The shared ancestor of humans and chimpanzees lived around the time of a creature called Sahelanthropus tchadensis. Some scientists believe that Sahelanthropus tchadensis is our shared ancestor. How Did Humans Evolve?
Can you place the different species of hominins in the order they evolved? Start with Sahelanthropus tchadensis and end with Homo sapiens (modern-day humans). Click on each species, to find out if you are right.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Sahelanthropus Homo Ardipithecus Homo Australopithecus Homo tchadensis habilis ramidus erectus afarensis sapiens Mary Leakey
Mary Leakey was a British paleoanthropologist who discovered many fossils of early hominins and their tools. These fossils provide evidence for the evolution of humans.
Leakey worked with her husband Louis at various archaeological sites. For much of her career, she worked at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania in Africa. After Louis died, Leakey became director of excavations at Olduvai. Mary Leakey
EarlyIn 1926, Life Mary and her mother returned to live in London Maryafter herLeakey father was died born of Marycancer. Douglas Mary attended Nicol in Londonan English in February 1913. school for the first time, but she did not settle in well. She was expelled from two different schools, and eventuallyAs a child, hershe motherspent lots hired of timea nanny in France to tutor her. with her family. On one of their visits, Mary was allowed to join in an Maryarchaeological continued excavation, to be very interestedand took a in archaeology,tour of a cave but to viewno university prehistoric would accept her applicationpaintings. These because experiences of her school began record. her interest in prehistory and archaeology. Mary Leakey
Career InsteadThe Leakeys of continuing moved to herAfrica education, and Mary applied to join in archaeologicalbegan an excavation excavations project around in England. At the age of 17, she got a jobOlduvai as an Gorge illustrator in Tanzania. at a Stone In 1948,Age dig in Hembury. Her illustrations of toolsMary wereLeakey so madegood thather firstother anthropologists and archaeologists wanted toincredible employ discovery.her.
SheIn the found 1930s, a fossilised Louis Leakey skull employedfrom Mary to Proconsulillustrate his africanus, book about an ancestor human evolution.of They humanssoon became and apes.a couple It was and believed got married to in 1937. beThey 18 formedmillion oneyears of old.the science world's most famous teams. Mary Leakey
Later Life and Legacy In 1959, Mary Leakey made another Louisdiscovery, Leakey this died time in while 1972, herbut husbandMary continued was her research.resting in Intheir 1979, camp. she discoveredShe discovered a trail a newof early homininspecies of footprints hominin thatat Laetoli, she and about Louis 45km called from OlduvaiZinjanthropus Gorge. boisei, but is now known as Australopithecus boisei or Paranthropus boisei. The fossil was dated at 2 million Maryyears Leakeyold. died in 1996 in Kenya. Her children and grandchildren now carry on her work. In 1960, the Leakey team found many stone tools and fossils of Homo habilis in Olduvai Gorge. Mary Leakey Sorting Statements
Can you sort the statements on your Mary Leakey Activity Sheet to show whether they are true or false? What Did Leakey's Fossils Prove?
Leakey's achievements include the discovery of fossilised footprints and tools used by Homo habilis.
Fossilised footprints Olduvai Gorge, where Leakey at Laetoli, Africa. excavated many stone tools.
“Earliest known human footprints - australopithecus afarensis - Smithsonian Museum of “Olduvai_2012 05 31_2823” by [Harvey Barrison] is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Natural History - 2012-05-17” by [Tim Evanson] is licensed under CC BY 2.0 What Did Leakey's Fossils Prove?
The fossilisedfootprints footprints were so significant that Leakey because found theywere provided extremely important. Shethe oldestfound knownand excavated evidence them of bipedalism at Laetoli (walking in Tanzania on twoin the late 1970s, andlegs), they proving have that been these dated early to 3.7 hominins million yearswalked ago. upright.
TheThis footprintsshows a difference were tracked between through this species and their aancestors, layer of volcanicwho would ash, have and walkedwere left on all fours. byLeakey's two or find three proved individuals that changes of the were occurring sameover time, species. proving human evolution.
It is not known for certain which species made the footprints. Most scientists think it was likely to have been Australopithecus afarensis. What Did Leakey's Fossils Prove?
Leakey explainedfound many that stone this toolsshows at the Olduvai species Gorge, was developing social interactionsuch as hand and axes. communal These tools activity. have Addedbeen dated to the to increased thinking skillsaround needed 2 million to create years the ago. tools, Other this fossils shows found that atHomo habilis was increasinglythe site suggest changing that the to toolsmore were recognisably made and modern used human behaviour. by Homo habilis.
The tools were an important discovery because they show another evolutionary change. The tools were found in a central area, along with fossilised animal remains. Explaining Excavations
OnImagine your Explainingthat you are Excavations Mary Leakey Activity and you Sheet want you have a grid. Your partnerto identify has the a slightly location different of the missingone. Keep evidence your grids - secret from each other. the footprints or the tools.
WithoutOne grid looking shows theat your location partner's of a grid,set of take footprints, turns while the other grid toshows guess the a gridlocation reference. of some If there stone is tools. a fossil there, your partner will tell you what it is and you should draw it in the correct place on your grid. If there is nothing there, your partner will tell you.
The aim of this activity is to identify the location of all the missing fossil evidence. Explaining Excavations
Once you have identified the location of the missing fossils, explain the importance of the fossils on your activity sheet. Important Discoveries
Mary Leakey found many fossils over the course of her career. She discovered 15 new species of fossilised animals, as well as fossils from different hominins. The Laetoli footprints and the Olduvai Gorge tools are two of her most famous discoveries.
Which of her finds, the Laetoli footprints or the Olduvai Gorge tools, do you think was most important?
Talk to your partner about your ideas and reasons. Aim • To understand the life of Mary Leakey and her work about fossils.
Success Criteria • I can describe what I know about the evolution of humans. • I can sort facts about Mary Leakey’s life and work. • I can describe what the fossils found by Mary Leakey tell us about human evolution.