Description: (British Paleoanthropologist Who Discovered the First Fossilised 'Proconsul Skull')
Mary Leakey was a pioneering British paleoanthropologist renowned for her significant discoveries in the field. She uncovered fossils of ancient hominines and the earliest hominins, as well as stone tools. Leakey also developed a classification system for these tools and made the groundbreaking discovery of the Laetoli footprints, which extended the understanding of human evolution by millions of years. Additionally, she identified fifteen new animal species, contributing to the naming of a new genus. Following her husband's passing, she assumed the role of director of excavations at Olduvai and trained her son, Richard, in palaeoanthropology.