"If pressed about man's ancestry, I would have to unequivocally say that all we have is a huge question mark. To date, there has been nothing found to truthfully purport as a transitional specie to man, including Lucy, since 1470 was as old and probably older. If further pressed, I would have to state that there is more evidence to suggest an abrupt arrival of man rather than a gradual process of evolving".
Richard Leakey, world's foremost paleoanthropologist, in [an unidentified] PBS documentary, 1990.
When I told Dr. Randall that I contested his obviously contrived quotations, he replied;
"By all means publish the Scientific quotes I sent you on your web site. If you disagree with such comments, then that is up to you, but I have not got the time or inclination to argue the minutia with you. However, I do hope you can be open minded enough to accept the validity of the comments by secular scientists that I sent you as it is not only some Christians who think the Science to support the Theory of Evolution is at best poor."
But it is not up to me if I disagree, and it is not me who is closed-minded. Luke is.
Not being blinded by faith as Luke Randall is, I wrote to Dr. Leakey asking for clarification of this quote,
and his response was that this was not a valid comment by a secular scientist,
and that his opinion has always been that evolution was a certain fact.
Dear Mr. Nelson
I have your letter and the best thing I can do is refer you to my published works, both scientific and popular. The Creationist movement is lead by a dishonest bunch of operators and misquotation is the hall mark of their work. Responding to them is time wasting and a letter would not be adequate to put your questions to rest. There are some things best ignored and the stupidity of these so called religious fanatics continues to astonish me. My list of publications is attached.
Yours sincerely
Richard Leakey
And since Randall's quotes specifically mentioned peer-review,
I should include Dr. Leakey's attached publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Does anything in this list imply any dearth of evidence for human evolution?
Research Publications
1969
Leakey R.E.F. New Cercopithocoidea from the chameron Beds, Lake Baringo, Kenya.
Fossil Vertebrates of Africa. 1:53-70.
1969
Leakey, R.E.F. Butzer, K.W. & Day, M.H. Early Homo sapiens remains
from the Omo river region of South West Ethiopia, Nature, 222: 1132-1138
1969
Leakey, M., Tobias, P.V., Martyn, J.E. & Leakey, R.E.F.
An Acheulean Industry with prepared core technique and the discovery of a contemporary hominid
at Lake Baringo, Kenya. Proc. Prehist. Soc. 3:46-76.
1970
Leakey, R.E.F., Behrensmeyer, A.K., Fitch, F.J., Miller, J.A., & Leakey, M.D.,
New Hominid remains and early artefacts from Northern Kenya. Nature 226:223-230.
1970
Leakey, R.E.F. In search of Man's past at Lake Rudolf. National Geographic 137:712-732.
1971
Leakey, R.E.F. Further evidence of Lower Pleistocene hominids
from East Rudolf, North Kenya. Nature 231:241-245.
1971
Leakey, R.E.F. Prehistoric Man in Africa.
In Journal of World History, UNESCO Publication Vol. XIII pp. 13-24.
1971
Leakey, R.E.F., Mungai, J.M. & Walker A.C.
New australopithecines from East Rudolf Kenya Am .J.Phys. Anthrop. 35:175-186
1971
Isaac, G.L., Leakey, R.E.F., & Behrensmeyer, A.K.
Archaeological traces of early hominid activity, East of Lake Rudolf, Kenya. Science 173:1129-1134.
1972
Leakey, R.E.F. Further evidence of Lower Pleistocene hominids
from East Rudolf, North Kenya. Nature 237:264-269.
1972
Leakey, R.E.F. New Fossil evidence for the evolution of man. Social Biology 19:99-114.
1972
Leakey, R.E.F. Man and sub-men on Lake Rudolf. New Scientist 16th November 1972 pp. 385-387.
1972
Leakey, R.E.F. & Isaac, G. Hominid fossils from the area East of Lake Rudolf, Kenya.
Photographs and commentary of context. In Perspectives on human evolution 2, Washburn, S.L. & Dolhinow, P. (Eds.)pp 129-140. Hold, Rinehard & Winston, San Francisco.
1972
Leakey, R.E.F., Mungai, J.M. & Walker, A.C. New Australopithecines
from East Rudolf, Kenya (II). Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 36:235-252.
1972
Leakey, R.E.F. Further Evidence of Lower Pleistocene hominids
from East Rudolf, North Kenya, Nature 242:170-173.
1973
Leakey, R.E.F. Evidence for an advanced Plio-Pleistocene hominid
from East Rudolf, Kenya. Nature 242:447-450.
1973
Leakey, R.E.F. Australopithecines and hominids:
A summary of the evidence from the early Pleistocene of Eastern Africa. Symp. zool. Soc. Lond. 33:53-69.
1973
Leakey, R.E.F. Skull 1470. National Geographic 143:818-829.
1973
Leakey, R.E.F. & Walker, A.C. New Australopithecines from East Rudolf, Kenya (III).
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 39:205-222.
1973 Leakey, R.E.F. & Wood, B.A. New Evidence of the genus Homo from East Rudolf, Kenya I
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 39:355-368.
1973 Day, M.H. & Leakey, R.E.F. New Evidence of the genus homo from East Rudolf, Kenya, II
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 39:341-354.
1973
Leakey, M.G. & Leakey, R.E.F., Further evidence of Simopithecus (Mammalia, Primates)
from Olduvai and Olorgesailie. Fossil Vertebrates of Africa 3:101-120.
1973
Leakey, M.G. & Leakey, R.E.F. New large Pleistocene colobinae (Mammalia, Primates)
from East Africa. Fossil Vertebrates of Africa 3:121-138.
1974
Leakey, R.E.F. Further evidence of Lowe Pleistocene hominids from East Rudolf, North Kenya, 1973. Nature 248:653-656.
1974
Day, M.H., & Leakey, R.E.F. New Evidence for the genus Homo from East Rudolf, Kenya (III)
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 31:357-360.
1974
Leakey, R.E.F. & Wood, B.A. New Evidence of the genus Homo from East Rudolf, Kenya,
Leakey,R.E.F. & Wood, B.A. A hominid mandible from East Rudolf, Kenya, Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 41:245-250.
1975
Day, M.H. & Leakey, R.E.F., Walker, A.C. & Wood, B.A. New hominids from East Rudolf, Kenya
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 42:461-476.
1976
Leakey, R.E.F. New Hominid fossils from the Koobi Fora Formation in northern Kenya.
Nature 261:574-576.
1976
Coppens, Y. Howell, F.C., Isaac, G.L. & Leakey, R.E.F. (eds.) Earliest man
and environments in the Lake Rudolf Basin: Stratigraphy, palaeoecology and evolution. Chicago University Press.
1976
Leakey, R.E.F. An overview of the hominidae from East Rudolf, Kenya.
In Earliest man and environments in the Lake Rudolf Basin: Stratigraphy, palaeoecology, and evolution.
Coppens, Y., Howell, FC., Isaac, G.L. & Leakey, R.E.F. (eds.) pp 476-483 Chicago University Press.
1976
Leakey, R.E.F. Hominids in Africa. American Scientist, 64:174-178.
1976
Leakey, R.E.F. & Walker, A.C. Australopithecus, Homo erectus and the single species hypothesis. Nature 261:572-574.
1976
Leakey, R.E.F. & Isaac, G. East Rudolf: an introduction to the abundance of new evidence.
In Human origins: Louis Leakey and the East African evidence. Isaac, G.L. & McCowan, E.R. (eds.) pp 307-332. W.A. Benjamin, Inc. Menlo Park, California.
1976
Leakey, M.G. & Leakey, R.E.F. Further Cercopithecines (Mammalia, Primates)
from the Plio/Pleistocene of East Africa. Fossil Vertebrates of Africa 4:121-146.
1976
Day, M.H., Leakey, R.E.F., Walker, A.C. & Wood, B.A. New hominids from East Turkana, Kenya.
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 45:369-436.
1976
Leakey, R.E.F. Vora afrikanska ursprug. Documenta 23:1-7.
1978
Leakey, M.G. & Leakey, R.E.F. (eds.) The fossil hominids and an introduction to their context, 1968-1974. Koobi Fora Research Project Volume I. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
1978
Leakey, R.E.F., Leakey, M.G. & Behrensmeyer, A.K. The Hominid Catalogue.
In The fossil hominids and an introduction to their context, 1968-1974.
Koobi Fora Research Project Volume I. pp 86-182. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
1978
Leakey, R.E.F. Reconnaisance and palaeontological exploration east of Lake Turkana 1968-1969.
National Geographic Society Research Reports, 1969 Projects. pp343-346.
1978
Leakey, R.E.F. Koobi Fora: a summary 1968-1973. In Early hominids of Africa.
Jolly, C.J. pp17-28. Duckworth, New York.
1979
Leakey, R.E. Lower Pleistocene hominids from Lake Turkana. North Kenya, 1970-1972.
National Geographic Society Research Reports, 1970 Projects. pp363-376.
1979
Leakey, R.E.F. Early man in Africa.
In The Proceedings of the Association of Surgeons of East Africa, 1979.
1980
Leakey, R.E. & Ogot, B.A. (eds.) Proc. 8th Pan African Congress on Prehistory and Quarternary Studies, Nairobi, 1987.
1980
Leakey, R.E.F. How many species of hominids at Lake Turkana.
In Current argument on early man. Lars-Konig Konigsson (ed.) pp 29-30. Pargamon Press, Oxford, New York.
1980
Leakey, R.E.F. Continuing research east of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, 1973-1976.
National Geographic Research Reports 14:399-423.
1984
A hominine hip bone, KNM-ER 3228, from East Lake Turkana, Kenya.
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 63:371-378.
1985
Leakey, R.E. & Walker, A.C. New Higher primates from the Miocene of Buluk, Kenya.
Nature 318:173-175.
1986
Brown, F., Harris, J., Leakey, R.E.F., Walker, A. Early Homo erectus skeleton from West Lake Turkana, Kenya. Nature 361:788-792.
1985
Leakey, R.E., Walker Introduction In Islands in the Bush.
A Natural History of Kora National Park by Malcolm Coe. George Philip, London.
1986
Walker, A., Teaford, M.F. & Leakey, R.E. New information concerning the R114 Proconsul site,
Rusinga Island, Kenya. In Primate Evolution. Vol.1.Else J.G. & Lee, P.C. (eds.) pp 1410171.
Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, London, New York.
1986
Leakey, R.E. and Leakey, M.G. A new Miocene hominid from Kenya. 324:143-146.
1986
Leakey, R.E. and Leakey, M.G. A second new Miocene hominid from Kenya. Nature 324:146-148.
1986
Brauer, G., Leakey, R.E., The ES-11693 cranium from Eliye springs, West Turkana, Kenya.
Journ., Hum. Evol. 15:289-312.
1986
Brauer, G., Leakey, R.E. A new archaic Homo sapiens cranium from Eliye Springs, West Turkana, Kenya. Z.Morph. Anthrop. 176:245-252.
1986
Walker, A., Leakey, R.E., Harris, J.M. & Brown, F.H. 2.5-Myr Australopithecus boisei
from west of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Nature 322:517-522.
1986
Leakey, R.E. Research in the Lake Turkana Basin, 1977-1981.
National Geographic Society Research Reports, 1977 projects: 18:441-453.
1986
Leakey, R.E. Note on Ecology and Famine. In An African Winter.
King, pp17-19. Penguin Books Ltd. Middlesex.
1987
Walker, A., Zimmerman, M.R. & Leakey, R.E. A possible case of hypervitaminosis A in Homo erectus. Nature 296:248-250.
1987
Leakey, R.E. & Leakey, M.G. A new Miocene small-bodied ape from Kenya.
Journal of Human Evolution 16:369-387.
1988
Walker, A.C. & Leakey, R.E. The evolution of Australopithecus boisei.
In Evolutionary history of the "robust australopithecines". Grine, F.E. (ed.) pp274-258. Aldine de Gruyter, New York.
1988
Harris, J.M., Brown, F.H., Leakey, M.G., Walker, A.C. and Leakey, R.E.
Pliocene and Pleistocene hominid-bearing sites from west of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Science 239:27-33.
1988
Teaford, M.F., Beard, K.C., Leakey, R.E. & Walker, A.C.
New hominid facial skeleton from the early Miocene of Rusinga Island, Kenya, and its bearings on the relationship between Proconsul nyanzae and Proconsul africanus. Journ. Hum. Evol. 17:461-477.
1988
Leakey, R.E. & Walker, A. C. 1988. New Australopithecus boisei specimens
from east and west Turkana, Kenya. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 76:1-24.
1988
Leakey, R.E., Leakey, M.G. and Walker, A.C. Morphology of Turkanapithecus kalakolensis from Kenya. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 76:277-288.
1988
Leakey, R.E., Leakey, M.G. and Walker, A.C. Morphology of Afropithecus turkanesnis from Kenya.
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 76:277-288.
1988
Leakey, R.E., Leakey, M.G. and Walker, A.C. Morphology of Afropithecus turkanesnis from Kenya.
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 76:289-307.
1988
Leakey, R.E. Human Origins: Current topics of relevance and interest.
Ossa, International Journal of Skeletal Research 14:11-18.
1989
Leakey, R.E.F. & Walker, A.C. Early Homo erectus from west Lake Turkana, Kenya.
In Hominidae. Proceedings of the 2nd. International Congress on Human aleontology Turin,
September 28-October 3, 1987 Giacobini, G (ed.) pp 167-173 Jaca Book.
1989
Leakey, R.E.F., Walker A.C., Ward, C.V., & Grausz, H.M. A partial skeleton of a gracile hominid
from the Upper Burgi Member of the Koobi Fora Formation, East Lake Turkana, Kenya.
In Hominidae. Proceedings of the 2nd. International Congress on Human Palaeontology Turin,
September 28-October 2, 1987 Giacobini, G. (Ed.) pp 167-173 Jaca Book.
1991
Grine, F.E., Leakey, R.E., Teaford, M.F. & Walker, A.C. The KNM-WT 17000 premolar,
Journ. Hum. Evol. 20:505-515.
1991
Leakey, M.G., Leakey, R.E., Richtsmeier, J.T., Simons, E.L. and Walker, A.C.
Similarities in Aeqyptopithecus and Afropithecus facial morphology.
Folia Primatol. 56:65-85.
1991
Leakey, R.E., Introduction. In Elephants, the deciding decade.
Orenstein, R. (Ed) pp 19-23. Key Porter Books, Toronto, Ontario.
1991
Leake, R.E. & Poole, J. Foreword. In The African Elephant, Twilight in Eden.
DiSilvestro, R.L. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, Chichester Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore.
1992
Rose, M.D., Leakey, M.G., Leakey, R.E.F. and Walker, A.C.
Postcranial specimens of Simiolus enjiessi and other primitive catarrhines
from the early Miocene of Lake Turkana. Kenya. J. Hum. Evol. 22:171-173.
1992
Brauer, G., Leakey, R.E. & Mbua, E. A first report on the ER-3884 cranial remains
from Ileret/East Turkana, Kenya. In Continuity or replacement, Controversies in Homo sapiens evolution.
Brauer, G. & Smith F.H. (eds) pp 111-119. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Brookfield.
1992
Kibunja, M. Roche, H., Brown, F.H. & Leakey, R.E.
Pliocene and Pleistocene archeological sites west of Lake Turkana, Kenya, Journ. Hum. Evol. 23:431-438.
1992
Leakey, R.E. A Wildlife Director's Perspective. In Elephants., Majestic Creatures of the Wild.
Shoshani, J.S. (ed). Pp 214-217. Weldon Owen, Sydney.
1993
Walker, A. & Leakey, R.E. (eds) The Nariokotome Homo erectus skeleton.
Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA 457 pp.
1993
Leakey, R.E. & Walker, A.C. Introduction. In The Nariakotome Homo erectus skeleton. Pp 1-9.
Walker, A. & Leakey, R.E. (eds) Harvard University Press.
1993
Brown, B., Walker, A., Ward, C.V., & Leakey, R.E. New Astralopithecus boisei calvaria
from east Lake Turkana, Kenya. Am. Journ. Phys. Anthrop. 92:137-159.
1993
Heinrich, R.E., Rose, M.D., Leakey, R.E. & Walker, A.C. Hominid radius
from the Middle Pliocene of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Am. Journ. Phys. Anthrop. 92:139-148.
The above list in and of itself stands in direct contest of Luke Randall's misquotation
of the world's foremost paleoanthropologist.
To quote Dr. Randall,
"I do hope you can be open minded enough to accept the validity of the comments by secular scientists"
Because it is obvious that "some Christians" are among the only ones who don't realize
that the scientific support of Evolutionary Theory is overwhelming and conclusive.