"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
1969Leakey 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
1969Leakey, 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.
1970Leakey, 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.
1970Leakey, R.E.F. In search of Man's past at Lake Rudolf. National Geographic 137:712-732.
1971Leakey, R.E.F. Further evidence of Lower Pleistocene hominids
from East Rudolf, North Kenya. Nature 231:241-245.
1971Leakey, R.E.F. Prehistoric Man in Africa.
In Journal of World History, UNESCO Publication Vol. XIII pp. 13-24.
1971Leakey, R.E.F., Mungai, J.M. & Walker A.C.
New australopithecines from East Rudolf Kenya Am .J.Phys. Anthrop. 35:175-186
1971Isaac, G.L., Leakey, R.E.F., & Behrensmeyer, A.K.
Archaeological traces of early hominid activity, East of Lake Rudolf, Kenya. Science 173:1129-1134.
1972Leakey, R.E.F. Further evidence of Lower Pleistocene hominids
from East Rudolf, North Kenya. Nature 237:264-269.
1972Leakey, R.E.F. New Fossil evidence for the evolution of man. Social Biology 19:99-114.
1972Leakey, R.E.F. Man and sub-men on Lake Rudolf. New Scientist 16th November 1972 pp. 385-387.
1972Leakey, 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.
1972Leakey, R.E.F., Mungai, J.M. & Walker, A.C. New Australopithecines
from East Rudolf, Kenya (II). Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 36:235-252.
1972Leakey, R.E.F. Further Evidence of Lower Pleistocene hominids
from East Rudolf, North Kenya, Nature 242:170-173.
1973Leakey, R.E.F. Evidence for an advanced Plio-Pleistocene hominid
from East Rudolf, Kenya. Nature 242:447-450.
1973Leakey, 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.
1973Leakey, R.E.F. Skull 1470. National Geographic 143:818-829.
1973Leakey, 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.
1973Leakey, M.G. & Leakey, R.E.F., Further evidence of Simopithecus (Mammalia, Primates)
from Olduvai and Olorgesailie. Fossil Vertebrates of Africa 3:101-120.
1973Leakey, M.G. & Leakey, R.E.F. New large Pleistocene colobinae (Mammalia, Primates)
from East Africa. Fossil Vertebrates of Africa 3:121-138.
1974Leakey, R.E.F. Further evidence of Lowe Pleistocene hominids from East Rudolf, North Kenya, 1973. Nature 248:653-656.
1974Day, M.H., & Leakey, R.E.F. New Evidence for the genus Homo from East Rudolf, Kenya (III)
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 31:357-360.
1974Leakey, 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.
1975Day, 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.
1976Leakey, R.E.F. New Hominid fossils from the Koobi Fora Formation in northern Kenya.
Nature 261:574-576.
1976Coppens, 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.
1976Leakey, R.E.F. Hominids in Africa. American Scientist, 64:174-178.
1976Leakey, R.E.F. & Walker, A.C. Australopithecus, Homo erectus and the single species hypothesis. Nature 261:572-574.
1976Leakey, 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.
1976Leakey, M.G. & Leakey, R.E.F. Further Cercopithecines (Mammalia, Primates)
from the Plio/Pleistocene of East Africa. Fossil Vertebrates of Africa 4:121-146.
1976Day, 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.
1976Leakey, R.E.F. Vora afrikanska ursprug. Documenta 23:1-7.
1978Leakey, 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.
1978Leakey, 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.
1978Leakey, R.E.F. Reconnaisance and palaeontological exploration east of Lake Turkana 1968-1969.
National Geographic Society Research Reports, 1969 Projects. pp343-346.
1978Leakey, R.E.F. Koobi Fora: a summary 1968-1973. In Early hominids of Africa.
Jolly, C.J. pp17-28. Duckworth, New York.
1979Leakey, R.E. Lower Pleistocene hominids from Lake Turkana. North Kenya, 1970-1972.
National Geographic Society Research Reports, 1970 Projects. pp363-376.
1979Leakey, R.E.F. Early man in Africa.
In The Proceedings of the Association of Surgeons of East Africa, 1979.
1980Leakey, R.E. & Ogot, B.A. (eds.) Proc. 8th Pan African Congress on Prehistory and Quarternary Studies, Nairobi, 1987.
1980Leakey, 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.
1980Leakey, R.E.F. Continuing research east of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, 1973-1976.
National Geographic Research Reports 14:399-423.
1984A hominine hip bone, KNM-ER 3228, from East Lake Turkana, Kenya.
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 63:371-378.
1985Leakey, R.E. & Walker, A.C. New Higher primates from the Miocene of Buluk, Kenya.
Nature 318:173-175.
1986Brown, F., Harris, J., Leakey, R.E.F., Walker, A. Early Homo erectus skeleton from West Lake Turkana, Kenya. Nature 361:788-792.
1985Leakey, R.E., Walker Introduction In Islands in the Bush.
A Natural History of Kora National Park by Malcolm Coe. George Philip, London.
1986Walker, 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.
1986Leakey, R.E. and Leakey, M.G. A new Miocene hominid from Kenya. 324:143-146.
1986Leakey, R.E. and Leakey, M.G. A second new Miocene hominid from Kenya. Nature 324:146-148.
1986Brauer, G., Leakey, R.E., The ES-11693 cranium from Eliye springs, West Turkana, Kenya.
Journ., Hum. Evol. 15:289-312.
1986Brauer, G., Leakey, R.E. A new archaic Homo sapiens cranium from Eliye Springs, West Turkana, Kenya. Z.Morph. Anthrop. 176:245-252.
1986Walker, 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.
1986Leakey, R.E. Research in the Lake Turkana Basin, 1977-1981.
National Geographic Society Research Reports, 1977 projects: 18:441-453.
1986Leakey, R.E. Note on Ecology and Famine. In An African Winter.
King, pp17-19. Penguin Books Ltd. Middlesex.
1987Walker, A., Zimmerman, M.R. & Leakey, R.E. A possible case of hypervitaminosis A in Homo erectus. Nature 296:248-250.
1987Leakey, R.E. & Leakey, M.G. A new Miocene small-bodied ape from Kenya.
Journal of Human Evolution 16:369-387.
1988Walker, 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.
1988Harris, 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.
1988Teaford, 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.
1988Leakey, R.E. & Walker, A. C. 1988. New Australopithecus boisei specimens
from east and west Turkana, Kenya. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 76:1-24.
1988Leakey, R.E., Leakey, M.G. and Walker, A.C. Morphology of Turkanapithecus kalakolensis from Kenya. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 76:277-288.
1988Leakey, R.E., Leakey, M.G. and Walker, A.C. Morphology of Afropithecus turkanesnis from Kenya.
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 76:277-288.
1988Leakey, R.E., Leakey, M.G. and Walker, A.C. Morphology of Afropithecus turkanesnis from Kenya.
Am. J. Phys. Anthrop. 76:289-307.
1988Leakey, R.E. Human Origins: Current topics of relevance and interest.
Ossa, International Journal of Skeletal Research 14:11-18.
1989Leakey, 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.
1989Leakey, 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.
1991Grine, F.E., Leakey, R.E., Teaford, M.F. & Walker, A.C. The KNM-WT 17000 premolar,
Journ. Hum. Evol. 20:505-515.
1991Leakey, 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.
1991Leakey, R.E., Introduction. In Elephants, the deciding decade.
Orenstein, R. (Ed) pp 19-23. Key Porter Books, Toronto, Ontario.
1991Leake, 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.
1992Rose, 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.
1992Kibunja, 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.
1992Leakey, R.E. A Wildlife Director's Perspective. In Elephants., Majestic Creatures of the Wild.
Shoshani, J.S. (ed). Pp 214-217. Weldon Owen, Sydney.
1993Walker, A. & Leakey, R.E. (eds) The Nariokotome Homo erectus skeleton.
Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA 457 pp.
1993Leakey, R.E. & Walker, A.C. Introduction. In The Nariakotome Homo erectus skeleton. Pp 1-9.
Walker, A. & Leakey, R.E. (eds) Harvard University Press.
1993Brown, 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.
1993Heinrich, 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.