Jane Goodall and her chimpanzees
Born in London in 1934, Jane Goodall has become a legend in the field of biology. Goodall’s discoveries and research work with chimpanzees in Tanzania have led her to become the leading expert in primatology.
Under the supervision of Louis Leakey, he began studying chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, in the mid-1960s. His nearly 60 years of research on African chimpanzees focused primarily on social and family interactions. of primates. Jane Goodall’s discoveries were, and continue to be, groundbreaking and highly successful as she took an immersive approach by entering a community of chimpanzees and not simply observing it from a distance.
Here are some of Goodall’s most notable discoveries from his close encounters with primates:
- Chimpanzees accept humans little by little: Jane Goodall observed that, after the general unrest and hostility of the first encounters, the chimpanzees became increasingly comfortable with their presence.
- Chimpanzees Create Tools: Still considered one of the most remarkable discoveries in the animal kingdom, Goodall observed that one of his chimpanzees in Tanzania used sticks and straw to create a tool to remove termites from a mound.
- Based on work done by previous primatologists, they are omnivores . Chimpanzees were believed to enjoy only a vegetarian diet, but Goodall saw chimpanzees repeatedly eating pork and smaller monkeys.
- Chimpanzees are some of the most social beings: for example, it is not uncommon for chimps to hug and kiss; In addition, chimpanzees complete activities such as group hunting.
Jane Goodall’s tireless efforts are an inspiration to aspiring biologists and primatologists. Until 2021, Goodall is the only human to have been fully accepted into chimpanzee society.
Some of the chimpanzees that Goodall observed throughout his six decades of research include David Greybeard, Goliath, Mike, Humphrey, Gigi, Flo, and Frodo, to name a few.
Although Goodall is no longer in Africa researching chimpanzees, he continues to work as an activist to raise awareness about climate change and the ethical treatment of chimpanzees in captive zoos. Jane Goodall and her chimpanzees