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The Leakey Foundation

@leakeyfoundation.org

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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21.09.2023
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Latest posts by The Leakey Foundation @leakeyfoundation.org

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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.

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...

10.02.2026 18:28 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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.

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.

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!

26.01.2026 22:41 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Yuting Gao working in the primate collection in The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Singapore.

Yuting Gao working in the primate collection in The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in Singapore.

Yuting Gao from the University of Colorado, Boulder is investigaing how oral microbiomes vary across primates and what evolutionary factors drive the variation.

09.02.2026 19:14 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Ellen Dyer kneeling in a green forest, wearing a backpack and dressed for fieldwork.

Ellen Dyer kneeling in a green forest, wearing a backpack and dressed for fieldwork.

Ellen Dyer from the University of New Mexico is asking how access to social support affects stress responses.

09.02.2026 19:14 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
KΓ©vin Di Modica is touching a cave wall that has archaeological site flags marking significant spots.

KΓ©vin Di Modica is touching a cave wall that has archaeological site flags marking significant spots.

KΓ©vin Di Modica from Espace MusΓ©al d’Andenne is investigating the earliest human settlements in North-West Europe with a focus on Belgium.

09.02.2026 19:14 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Maria Creighton in an open yellow grassland taking data on baboons.

Maria Creighton in an open yellow grassland taking data on baboons.

Maria Chreighton from Duke University is exploring how sociality links to health and longevity in primates. (Pic by Susan Alberts)

09.02.2026 19:14 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Olayemi Ajayi working with a pipette in a lab. She's wearing a blue lab coat and sitting at a lab bench.

Olayemi Ajayi working with a pipette in a lab. She's wearing a blue lab coat and sitting at a lab bench.

Here are a few examples of their fascinating projects: Olayemi Ajayi of The University of Cincinnati is studying how rainfall variation shapes gene regulation patterns in thick-tailed galagos.

09.02.2026 19:14 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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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.

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.

09.02.2026 19:14 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
Young Turkana herders guide camels across Kenya’s arid landscape near Lake Turkana at sunset.

Young Turkana herders guide camels across Kenya’s arid landscape near Lake Turkana at sunset.

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: https://scim.ag/4nxcJbx

18.09.2025 18:05 πŸ‘ 32 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2

Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it!

11.09.2025 20:51 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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How much time did our ancestors spend in trees? Studying these chimpanzees might help us find out How much time did our ancestors spend in trees? A new study on savannah-living chimpanzees could help answer questions about the origins of upright walking.

This is so exciting! Congratulations! We just shared a story about your work on our website. leakeyfoundation.org/how-much-tim...

29.07.2025 21:19 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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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...

🚨New Publication🚨

So happy to have this final chunk of my phd out, and the fruits of my @leakeyfoundation.org research grant πŸ™‰

"arboreal, and especially suspensory, locomotion can be advantageous for foraging in a savannah-mosaic and not just closed forest habitats"

#phddone #womeninscience #wild

29.07.2025 15:58 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Three ancient human relatives once shared the same valley. Did they meetβ€”and compete? The world’s greatest concentration of ancestral human remains, in South Africa, poses a 2-million-year-old riddle of coexistence

Three ancient human relatives once shared the same valley. Did they meetβ€”and compete? www.science.org/content/arti...

29.07.2025 21:17 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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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 signaturesβ€”it's been full-on.
@leakeyfoundation.org @National Museum, Bloemfontein

15.07.2025 10:17 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

We're thrilled to support her and her work!

09.07.2025 17:58 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Congratulations to CASHP member, Joyce Waweru!

09.07.2025 14:14 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Congratulations to CASHP member, Sims Patton!

09.07.2025 14:18 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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.

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.

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...

08.07.2025 23:12 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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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.

πŸŽ‰ 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-...

08.07.2025 22:51 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

We're very proud to support Emmanuel and to be part of his PhD journey!

08.07.2025 22:46 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

My PhD student Emmanuel, co advised with @mcnultylab.bsky.social, is a Baldwin fellow πŸŽ‰πŸΎπŸ™ŒπŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½! Thanks Leakey Foundation for supporting these talented scholars :-) learn more about Emmanuel’s work and background here: www.nievescolonlab.org/about-emmanuel

08.07.2025 01:06 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

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!

08.07.2025 04:40 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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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.

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...

07.07.2025 21:41 πŸ‘ 14 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 3
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Proud of UMich grad student Rosa MuΓ±oz 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-...

04.07.2025 11:59 πŸ‘ 17 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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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.

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-...

04.07.2025 12:22 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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#NakaliπŸ‡°πŸ‡ͺ πŸ¦βš’οΈπŸ¦΄

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 πŸ‘‡πŸ½
@dmartinperea.bsky.social
@albavicente.bsky.social

Congratulations to the other amazing awardees πŸ‘πŸΌ
leakeyfoundation.org/introducing-...

04.07.2025 17:14 πŸ‘ 24 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1

We're thrilled to support her research, and we're excited about our stellar new cohort of grantees!

07.07.2025 21:36 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

We're so proud to fund your research! Congratulations!

07.07.2025 21:35 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

We're so proud to fund your work! Congratulations!

07.07.2025 21:34 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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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.

26.05.2025 15:13 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0