Africa: Cradle of Humanity
In 1871, Charles Darwin predicted that the remains of human ancestors would be found in Africa because our closest living relatives, the great apes, are found there today. But Darwin may have been in the minority. Before 1925, many scientists believed that the first humans had evolved in Europe or Asia no more than 200,000 years ago.
Kenyan-born British archaeologist Louis Leakey was firmly convinced that he would find evidence to support Darwin's prediction. Louis Leakey, working together with his wife, Mary Leakey, compiled substantial evidence that Africa, not Europe or Asia, was the birthplace of humans. Moreover, the Leakeys' many fossil discoveries suggested that the first hominids were far older than previously believed. The Leakeys were drawn to Olduvai Gorge, where they carried out much of their lifework, by the abundance of primitive stone tools that had been found in the vicinity.
