What is Koobi Fora?
'''Koobi Fora''' is a region around '''Koobi Fora Ridge''', on the eastern shore of [[Lake Turkana]], [[Kenya]]. It is in the territory of the nomadic [[Gabbra people]].<ref name=HistoricalBackground>{{citation|title=Koobi Fora: Historical Background|url=http://www.museums.or.ke/content/view/24/9/|publisher=National Museums of Kenya|accessdate=30 April 2010|archive-date=20 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720025116/http://www.museums.or.ke/content/view/24/9/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The term '''East Turkana''' can be used for the whole area.<ref>A nice [http://jwest.web.wesleyan.edu/research/kfmap.html map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829080554/http://jwest.web.wesleyan.edu/research/kfmap.html |date=2006-08-29 }} can be found at the Wesleyan site.</ref> The ridge is an outcrop of mainly [[Pliocene]]/[[Pleistocene]] [[sediment]]s. It is composed of [[claystone]]s, [[siltstone]]s, and [[sandstone]]s that preserve numerous fossils of land [[mammals]], including early [[hominin]] species. The ridge is being eroded into a [[badlands]] terrain by a series of [[wikt:ephemeral|ephemeral]] rivers that drain into the northeast portion of modern Lake Turkana. In 1968 [[Richard Leakey]] established the '''Koobi Fora Base Camp''' on a large sandspit projecting into the lake near the ridge, which he called the '''Koobi Fora Spit.''' A survey and numerous excavations showed the region was a source of [[hominin]] fossils from the last 4.2 million years. Far exceeding the number of humanoid fossils are the non-humanoid fossils, which give us a look at the [[fauna]] and [[flora]] as far back as the [[Miocene]]. In 1973, the government of [[Kenya]] reserved the region as [[Sibiloi National Park]], establishing a headquarters for the [[National Museums of Kenya]] on Koobi Fora Spit. The reserve is well-maintained and is well-guarded by friendly but armed park police. Protection of sites and especially of wildlife are of prime concern. Exploration and excavation are done by the '''Koob