Jane Goodall

Jane GoodallThe Woman Who Redefined Man

Bio• Born April 3, 1934 in London,

England

• Traveled to Africa at the age of 23 and met the famous anthropologist and paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey

• Dr. Leakey inspired and supported her interest in animals; and suggested a field study of the chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania

Early Life at Gombe• Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in 1960 was very

untouched, mountainous terrain; almost completely cut off from civilization

• Chimpanzee research in the wild prior to Jane was previously very unexplored and unsucessful, the last attempt lasting only two months in French Guinea

• Dr. Goodall was accompanied by her mother Vanne; both were inexperienced researchers in the field

• Early days of the camp required Goodall to rely on the expertise of African guides to show her how to navigate the bush; and to find the chimpanzees

Early Observations• Observing the wild chimpanzees

was a slow process; took many months before trust was developed

• Jane observed complex social interactions; such as greetings from one chimp to another, youngsters playing games, and affectionate exchanges

• Jane named each chimp individually, to identify each ones distinct personality

The Chimpanzees• David Greybeard- first chimp

to approach Jane; crucial to core discoveries

• Flo- female of approx. 40 years of age, traveled with her young

• Goliath- large male that traveled with David Greybeard, approx. 100lbs in size

• Mr. McGregor- senior male over 40 years of age

First Discoveries• Chimpanzees exhibited “tool-making” behaviors; until this

discovery it was previously thought that man was defined by that ability

• Chimpanzees hunted and consumed meat; were previously thought to be strictly vegetarians

• Chimps exhibit a sense of “self”; showed empathy and family bonds

Chimpanzee Vs. Human Behavior

Chimpanzee Human

Submissive to higher intelligence chimps

Values intellect

Show sex appeal behavior Values sex appeal

Show mutual friendships Values friendships

Shows some signs of mate bonding Mate bonding often occurs

Does not show romantic love Romance often occurs

Sense of “Self” Total knowledge of “Self”

Unspoken communication Spoken communication

Gombe Today

• Gombe Chimpanzee Sanctuary research continues on today; assisted by interns and research assistants

• Long term study of chimpanzees necessary for sufficient data collection

• Habitat loss now leading threat facing Gombe; research station has expanded but habitat is being lost readily

Implications of Research• The definition of man itself challenged by the concept of tool-

making

• Do chimpanzees deserve rights the same as man? Or does the spoken language barrier dictate rights?

• Should chimps be accepted as man-like because of their sense of self

• Should the definition of “man” be redefined?

Criticism

• Anthropomorphism

• Inexperience prior to field research

Accomplishments• Jane Goodall today is recognized worldwide as the worlds

leading primatologist• She was named a U.N. Messenger of Peace in 2002• Her research is highly respected and regarded as revolutionary

in its time; changed the face of how we view animal behavior• Was one of the very few people to obtain a Ph.D from

Cambridge without first obtaining her B.A.• Has written multiple books; and is highly regarded for her

writing• She is an accomplished activist and speaker; and travels 300

days out of the year to do motivational and educational lectures

The JGI/Roots and Shoots

• Improve global understanding and treatment of great apes through research, public education and advocacy

• Contribute to the preservation of great apes and their habitats by combining conservation with education and promotion of sustainable livelihoods in local communities

• Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen—for our communities, for animals and for the environment. With hundreds of thousands of young people in more than 120 countries, the Roots & Shoots network connects youth who share a desire to create a better world.

Discussion?