Undated photograph of Leakey at excavation site. Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey (August 7, 1903 - October 1, 1972) was a Kenyan archaeologist and naturalist whose work was important in establishing human evolutionary development in Africa, particularly through his discoveries in the Olduvai Gorge. He also played a major role in creating organizations for future research in Africa and for protecting wildlife there. Having been a prime mover in establishing a tradition of palaeoanthropological inquiry, he was able to motivate the next generation to continue it, notably within his own family, many of whom also became prominent. In natural philosophy he asserted Darwin's theory of evolution unswervingly and set about to prove Darwin's hypothesis that humans arose in Africa. In 1972 he suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 69.