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Natural selection operates according to immediate circumstances and not toward a long-term goal. Homo sapiens did eventually evolve as a descendent of the first humans, but there was nothing inevitable about it.

— Richard Leakey The Origin of Humankind (1994)

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More quotes by Richard Leakey

I think both Louis and I were looking for more or less the same thing, and that is, when did our species, Homo, begin?

I'm known for speaking my mind, a trait I probably inherited from my parents, Louis and Mary Leakey—neither of whom was renowned for tact.

Wildlife Wars: My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures (2001)

We hope to find more pieces of the puzzle which will shed light on the connection between this upright, walking ape, our early ancestor, and modern man.

Next to the discovery of the Turkana boy, the visit to Lascaux ranks as one of the great moments of my life.

Origins Reconsidered: In Search of What Makes Us Human (1992)

Rather than living as aggregations of families in nomadic bands, as modern hunter-gatherers do, the first humans probably lived like savanna baboons.

The Origin of Humankind (1994)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Richard Leakey (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.