Mary Leakey — Questions and answers
Read the full story
What extraordinary discovery did Mary Leakey and her team make in 1978?
Choices
- A. A new type of fossilized plant.
- B. An ancient pathway of early hominins walking upright. ✓
- C. A very old secret map.
- D. A huge pile of volcanic ash.
Answer: B. An ancient pathway of early hominins walking upright.
From page 1
What special talents did Mary Leakey develop even though she didn't have a university degree?
Choices
- A. Singing and dancing for an audience.
- B. Drawing maps and riding horses.
- C. Meticulous excavation and precise artistic rendering of stone tools. ✓
- D. Playing musical instruments and writing stories.
Answer: C. Meticulous excavation and precise artistic rendering of stone tools.
From page 2
Why was Olduvai Gorge a very important place for studying early human history?
Choices
- A. It was a beautiful place for vacations.
- B. Its unique geology preserved millions of years of history like a natural archive. ✓
- C. It had many different types of trees.
- D. It was the only place with old rocks.
Answer: B. Its unique geology preserved millions of years of history like a natural archive.
From page 3
How did discoveries in East Africa change what scientists thought about human evolution?
Choices
- A. They made scientists believe humans evolved in a perfectly straight line.
- B. They showed that early humans only lived in South Africa.
- C. They suggested a much more complex and 'bushy' family tree for humans. ✓
- D. They proved that early humans never walked upright.
Answer: C. They suggested a much more complex and 'bushy' family tree for humans.
From page 4
What was special about the Zinjanthropus boisei skull fragments Mary Leakey found?
Choices
- A. It was a tiny skull that fit in her pocket.
- B. It had massive jaws and was different from any known hominin before. ✓
- C. It looked exactly like a modern human skull.
- D. It was made entirely of precious gems.
Answer: B. It had massive jaws and was different from any known hominin before.
From page 5
Besides finding fossils, how did Mary Leakey make a big difference in science?
Choices
- A. She wrote many popular adventure books.
- B. She invented a new type of shovel.
- C. She set new, very careful standards for how scientists should dig and record their findings. ✓
- D. She taught people how to climb mountains.
Answer: C. She set new, very careful standards for how scientists should dig and record their findings.
From page 8
What new understanding did Mary Leakey's discoveries bring about human evolution?
Choices
- A. That humans only started evolving very recently.
- B. That all early humans were exactly the same.
- C. That the human family tree was more complex and diverse, with multiple species coexisting. ✓
- D. That humans evolved outside of Africa.
Answer: C. That the human family tree was more complex and diverse, with multiple species coexisting.
From page 9
What qualities helped Mary Leakey make her amazing discoveries?
Choices
- A. Being very fast and strong.
- B. Relentless curiosity, scientific rigor, and unwavering dedication. ✓
- C. Having a magic crystal ball.
- D. Always wearing a funny hat.
Answer: B. Relentless curiosity, scientific rigor, and unwavering dedication.
From page 10