Evolution quotes #42

"Richard [Leakey] ran an expedition and as joint leader and main operator of the
practical side he felt that he had a right to loyalty from the expedition
members. Inevitably that meant agreement with him on all important factors
associated with the expedition..if you did not agree on important issues you
could either back down or leave. Most of us backed down a few times and then
eventually left…Despite this, my own preference would be to work for an
expedition run by Richard."[1]
Donald Johanson, "acknowledges that the search
is often spiced by hopes that are not always strictly scientific. 'We have a
passion to find the oldest, the most complete, the biggest-brained, the most
enigmatic fossil,' he recently told an audience at a public lecture at the
American Museum of Natural History in New York.[2] Many anthropologists feel
like this, but few are candid enough to express it publicly."[3]

[1] Roger Lewin (noted science journalist), Bones of Contention (New York, NY: A Touchstone Book published by Simon & Schuster Inc., 1987), p. 250 citing a letter, Findlater to author, 1 Feb. 1985
[2]. "Four Million Years of Humanity," lecture at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, 9 April 1984
[3] Lewin, p. 23

Evolution quotes #41

"The character of the KBS Tuff controversy was in large part colored by the
combination of these two factors: Fitch and Miller's solid adherence to their
original figure, despite their inability to replicate it adequately; and
Leakey's unswerving loyalty to these two men and their contentions. Each party
had very good reasons for acting the way it did. In addition, Leakey clearly had
a vested interest in the older date, if for nothing else that because the claim
for the oldest Homo, oldest stone tools, and so on was good for
fund-raising."

Roger Lewin (noted science journalist), Bones of Contention (New York, NY: A Touchstone Book published by Simon & Schuster Inc., 1987), p. 195

Evolution quotes #40

"An unfortunate tendency has developed of late," Bernard Campbell observed, "for
anthropologists who are mainly engaged in university teaching, rather than in
actual field studies, to start lengthy discussions and criticism on the basis of
preliminary reports, often without even viewing the original specimens, or casts
thereof. This sort of controversy, often accompanied by dogmatic pronouncements,
must be deplored."

Epilogue in Adam and Ape, edited by L. S. B. Leakey and Kack and Stephanie Prost, published by Schenkman Publishing Co., 1971