Nat Geo on the Bones of Turkana
The Leakey family is legendary, most renowned for discovering one of the world’s most significant fossils – the Turkana Boy skeleton.
Richard Leakey—a paleontologist and provocateur, as well as statesman and conservationist—is an extremely interesting and engaging character.
“BONES OF TURKANA,” a new National Geographic Special (premieres Wednesday, May 16 at 10pm ET on PBS – check local listings), captures the last 40 years of his life and work in Africa, alongside his paleontologist wife (Meave) and scientist/pilot daughter (Louise), searching in that most formative of all landscapes for the traits that make us human.
Featuring music by Paul Simon and the Kenya Boys Choir, the film chronicles the dramatic discoveries and ongoing research at Africa’s Lake Turkana by the current generation of Leakeys and other researchers. (FYI, of note: this spring also marks the 25th anniversary of Paul Simon’s “Graceland” album.)
Richard is the third generation of Leakey family to live and work in Africa. In addition to launching and nurturing the careers of famed female field researchers Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, Richard’s parents, the pioneering anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey, made discoveries that helped affirm Africa was the cradle of mankind.
Richard Leakey speaks frankly about his life and work, and the plane crash in which he lost his legs, which may have been an assassination attempt. All three passionate and compelling individuals are available for interviews surrounding this captivating film.
Turkana Boy, the designation given to fossil KNM-WT (Kenya National Museum-West Turkana), is a nearly complete skeleton of a 12-year-old hominid boy who died 1.6 million years ago. The skeleton was discovered in 1984 by a team led by Richard Leakey near Lake Turkana in Kenya. The only bones missing were those of the hands and feet.
The shape of the pelvis indicates that it was a male. Based on dental eruption and lack of any epiphyseal union of the skull, the age can be determined to be about 12 years old.
The shape of the pelvis indicates that it was a male. Based on dental eruption and lack of any epiphyseal union of the skull, the age can be determined to be about 12 years old.
The skeleton was about 5 1/2 ft. tall; though he might have been 150 pounds and 6 ft. tall had he lived to adulthood.
The cranial capacity of Turkana Boy was about 880 ml, although if he would have lived to adulthood it would have been about 910 ml.
Turkana Boy lived at the halfway point between ape primates and human primates.
Turkana Boy is classified as either Homo erectus or Homo ergaster.
