African Currents

Why Fossil Science is Indebted to Indigenous Peoples of Africa

16:27, 3 March 2026
Chimauchem Nwosu
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Long before Western scientists claimed the first fossil "discoveries" in southern Africa, Indigenous communities had already developed their own explanations for the ancient bones scattered across the region. Newly examined missionary diaries are prompting scientists to reassess how that early knowledge was recorded — and who took credit for it.
Sputnik
The diaries belonged to French missionary Paul Ellenberger, who lived in Lesotho between 1953 and 1970. In his handwritten notes, he documented how Basotho and San communities identified and interpreted fossil remains long before formal scientific expeditions arrived.
Researchers reviewing the records say the accounts reveal how colonial-era science positioned European observers as the primary authorities on discovery, often sidelining local insight. The findings are adding fresh weight to calls for a broader recognition of Indigenous contributions to the history of paleontology in Africa.
African Currents reached out to one of the researchers, Professor Charles Helm, a research associate at the African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa, to discuss the study. He also addressed the importance of recognizing and incorporating Indigenous knowledge into scientific research, particularly in paleontology.

"And here we're talking about the late Jurassic, early Cretaceous, or late Triassic period. So, we're looking at about 180 million years ago [...]. These Bushmen, the San, had worked out that in the lower layers you had the tracks of animals walking on four feet. And in the upper layers you have the tracks of animals running around on two feet. And they had the most amazing interpretation for this [...]. It's a very sophisticated interpretation based on the fact that these people didn't read; it's all oral history, but they could interpret, and to me, it's just an amazing thing because they're talking about locomotive biology. They're talking about the idea of faunal succession [...]. The San, the Bushmen—I might be biased because I love working with them, but I think of them as the finest trackers that the world has ever known," Professor Helm stated.

Other members of the research team are Julien Benoit, Associate Professor in Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University of the Witwatersrand, and Emese Bondy, Professor in Geological Sciences at the University of Cape Town.
Catch the full discussion on the African Currents podcast, presented by Sputnik Africa.
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