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Rusinga Island
Mfangano Island
​Uyoma Peninsula
​Karungu

The Kisingiri volcano sits at the edge of Lake Victoria on the western end of Kenya's Nyanza Rift. Four major site complexes – Rusinga Island, Mfangano Island, Karungu, and the Uyoma Peninsula – record floral and faunal evolution between ~20–17 million years ago. The first reports of fossils date to the early 1900s, but discovery of fossil apes on Rusinga in the 1930s  initiated and motivated long-term research that continues today. Our team has maintained active work at the Kisingiri sites since 2006. Well over 100 species of vertebrate animals, plus myriad invertebrate and paleobotanical remains make these sites a spectacular resource for understanding early Neogene paleobiology. At least 10 species of primate, including the well-known ape Ekembo, have drawn the particular interest of paleoanthropology. 
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Kieran McNulty
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Samuel Muteti
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Lauren Michel
CORE     RESEARCH     TEAM
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Tom Lehmann
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Kirsten Jenkins
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Dan Peppe
RESEARCH AIMS
  • Establish high-resolution geochronology
  • Reconstruct paleoecologies using an integrative multi-proxy approach
  • Interpret mammal community evolution in temporal, spatial, and ecological contexts
  • Develop detailed site formation profiles
  • Advance phylogenetic and taxonomic knowledge regarding fossil primates 
  • Improve understanding of adaptive evolution in primates and other mammals
  • Situate Kisingiri fossil sites within the broader context of early Neogene phylogeography
STUDIES ON THE FRONT BURNER
Rusinga/Mfangano geochronology
New primate cranial specimens
Community succession in Kisingiri
New tree trunk fossils
Taphonomy of Kiahera Formation
Revision of the Makira Series
Publications
Links are direct downloads or redirect to publishers' websites. Publications behind paywalls can also be downloaded directly: if you have the password, then speak, friend, and enter.
  • RUMINANT MESOWEAR REVEALS CONSISTENTLY BROWSE-DOMINATED DIETS THROUGHOUT THE EARLY AND MIDDLE MIOCENE OF EASTERN AFRICA.   doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110253.   PASSWORD
  • CLIMATIC FLUCTUATIONS IN THE EARLY MIOCENE HIWEGI FORMATION, LAKE VICTORIA, KENYA, AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON EARLY APE EVOLUTION. doi: 10.1111/sed.12762.   PASSWORD​
  • EKEMBO.  Heritage Science News: Quarterly Newsletter of the Directorate of National Repository & Research, National Museums of Kenya. July-September 2019: 1–2.
  • THE EARLY MIOCENE CRITICAL ZONE AT KARUNGU, WESTERN KENYA: AN EQUATORIAL, OPEN HABITAT WITH FEW PRIMATE REMAINS. doi: 10.3389/feart.2017.00087.
  • NEW EXCAVATIONS AT WAKONDO (RUSINGA ISLAND, KENYA): MIDDLE STONE AGE EXPLOITATION OF A CATASTROPHIC DEATH ASSEMBLAGE OF THE EXTINCT BOVID RUSINGORYX ATOPOCRANION. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.11.004.   PASSWORD
  • A DETAILED ASSESSMENT OF THE MAXILLARY MORHOLOGY OF LIMNOPITHECUS EVANSI WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TAXONOMY OF THE GENUS. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.01.004.  PASSWORD
  • NEW RHINOCEROTIDAE FROM THE KISINGIRI LOCALITIES (LOWER MIOCENE OF WESTERN KENYA).  doi: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1103247.
  • A SYSTEMATIC REVISION OF PROCONSUL WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW GENUS OF EARLY MIOCENE HOMINOID. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.03.009.   PASSWORD
  • STABLE ISOTOPE PALEOECOLOGY OF THE LATE PLEISTOCENE MIDDLE STONE AGE HUMANS FROM THE LAKE VICTORIA BASIC, KENYA.  doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.005.   PASSWORD​
  • ​DENTAL MICROWEAR PROFILOMETRY OF AFRICAN NON-CERCOPITHECOID CATARRHINES OF THE EARLY MIOCENE. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.08.011.   PASSWORD​
  • REMNANTS OF AN ANCIENT FOREST PROVIDE ECOLOGICAL CONTEXT FOR EARLY MIOCENE FOSSIL APES. doi: 10.1038/ncomms4236.​
  • A MORPHOTYPE CATALOG AND PALEOENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATIONS OF EARLY MIOCENE FOSSIL LEAVES FROM THE HIWEGI FORMATION, RUSINGA ISLAND, LAKE VICTORIA, KENYA. doi: 10.26879/342. 
  • NEW SPECIMENS OF 'CROCODYLUS' PIGOTTI (CROCODYLIDAE) FROM RUSINGA ISLAND, KENYA, AND GENERIC REALLOCATION OF THE SPECIES. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2013.743404. 
  • EARLY NEOGENE ENVIRONMENTS IN EAST AFRICA: EVIDENCE FROM DENTAL MICROWEAR OF TRAGULIDS. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.05.005.
  • THE PLEISTOCENE ARCHAEOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTS OF THE WASIRIYA BEDS, RUSINGA ISLAND, KENYA. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.07.020.
  • APES AND TRICKSTERS: THE EVOLUTION AND DIVERSIFICATION OF HUMANS' CLOSEST RELATIVES. doi: 10.1007/s12052-010-0251-z.
  • STRATIGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION OF THE KULU FORMATION (EARLY MIOCENE, RUSINGA ISLAND, KENYA) AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR PRIMATE EVOLUTION. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2009.02.006.

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HALL of FAME
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The many people who have contributed to our research since 2006 are listed below with sincere thanks for their efforts. This is a work in progress: contact us if you notice a name that is missing! Font indicates participation as researcher, grad student, undergrad, local collaborator, or guest.
​A-E
  • Apollo Ochieng Abudho
  • John Ahrens
  • Dickens Aketch
  • Thomas Alberg
  • Adrienne Alms
  • Ashley Bales
  • Marion Bamford
  • Aly Baumgartner
  • Alexi Besser​
  • Scott Blumenthal
  • Madison Bradley
  • Moriah Brown
  • Catherine Butts
  • Kimberly Cheng
  • Tessa Cicak
  • Amanda Collado
  • Jack Conrad
  • Miranda Cosman
  • Adam Cossette
  • Susy Cote
  • Al Deino
  • Lyndsay Di Pietro
  • Steve Drise
  • Kameron Dropps
  • Holly Dunsworth​​​
  • Ben Ehren​
​F-L​
  • Melia Flagg
  • Garrett Fletcher
  • Frances Forrest
  • David Fox
  • Brenda Frazier
  • ​Nicole Garrett
  • Sarah Ghannam
  • Samantha Gogol
  • Abbey Hall
  • Will Harcourt-Smith
  • Anna Hardin
  • Erin Henderson
  • Cindy Hendry
  • Rachel Highley
  • Jason Hodgson
  • Lindsay Iredale
  • Amber Jaeger
  • Rutger Jansma
  • ​Kirsten Jenkins
  • Kyra Johnson
  • Penina Kadalida
  • ​Joseph Kiseu
  • Ryan Knigge
  • Marie Krinke
  • Rachel Kuzma​​
  • Myra Laird
  • Eli Lara
  • Thomas Lehmann
  • Risa Luther
​M-O
  • Senegal Mabry
  • Jason Massey
  • Dan Maxbauer
  • Lucyline Mbogoria
  • Kieran McNulty
  • Kirsten Meltesen
  • Paul Mensah
  • Catya Mesyef
  • Lauren Michel
  • Dixon Misasa
  • Robert Moru
  • Monica Msechu
  • Martin Mulandi
  • Samuel Muteti
  • Derek Nelson
  • Sheila Nightingale
  • Rebecca Nockerts
  • Rose Nyaboke
  • Cliff Ochieng
  • Julian Ogondo
  • ​Jared Olelo
  • Eunice Oluoch
  • Blasto Onyango
  • Lucas Otieno
  • Umoja George Otieno
  • Collince Ouma
  • Maurice Ouma
  • Suleman Okeyo​
  • Allen Opiata
  • Samwel Owuor​
  • ​Symon Owuor
​P-Z
  • Dan Peppe
  • Jennifer Parkinson
  • Kathryn Ranhorn
  • Caitlin Schrein
  • Sarah Schmoller
  • Jackson Shaduma
  • Leonard Natse
  • Brian Shearer
  • Joshua Siembo
  • Zana Sims
  • Jennifer St. Germaine
  • Nancy Stevens
  • Melissa Tallman
  • Joel Torgeson
  • Linet Tyto
  • Anthony Van Couvering
  • John Van Couvering
  • Madelaine Walker
  • Eddie Wamara
  • Rui Wang
  • Phillip Wilson
  • Morris Wilson
  • Craig Wuthrich
  • Abigail Zatkalik
  • Julia Zichello

Location

Sincere thanks to our funding partners!

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Contact Us

Department of Anthropology
301 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis MN 55455

​
​+1 612 625 8547
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