While many remember Jane Goodall, who recently passed away, as a renowned conservationist engaging with public figures and advocating for nature at the United Nations, her true legacy for scientists lies in her early, tireless work. It was the young Dr. Goodall, spending weeks immersed with wild chimpanzees, who became an enduring icon.
As Michael Tomasello, a leading expert on language origins at Duke University, aptly put it, “There will always only be one Jane Goodall.”
Dr. Goodall’s remarkable scientific journey began in 1957 with a simple phone call. Then just 23, she had a background as a waitress and secretary, yet possessed an insatiable passion for animals and a self-taught, profound understanding of their world. Her singular goal was to find a way to work directly with them.
Her initiative led her to renowned paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey, then busy unearthing pivotal human and ape fossils in Africa. So impressed was Leakey by her dedication that he offered to fund her groundbreaking expedition to Tanzania, where she would embark on an immersive study of wild chimpanzees.
Starting her research at the Gombe Stream Research Center in 1960, Dr. Goodall patiently immersed herself in the chimpanzee community. Her consistent presence gradually led the chimps to accept her, enabling her to distinguish individual personalities and, crucially, to observe them exhibiting astonishing and unexpected behaviors.
It was here that she witnessed a pivotal moment: a male chimpanzee, whom she affectionately named David Greybeard, meticulously broke a grass stalk, then used it to ‘fish’ for termites from a mound. This initial observation was soon followed by similar tool-use behaviors from other chimpanzees.
When Dr. Goodall shared these findings with Leakey, he was utterly astonished. At the time, tool-making was considered a defining trait of humanity, presumed to be far beyond the capabilities of any ape.
His famous declaration encapsulated the paradigm shift: “Now we must redefine ‘tool,’ redefine ‘man,’ or accept chimpanzees as humans.”
Dr. Goodall also unveiled a sophisticated communication system within Gombe’s chimpanzees. Their vocalizations were not arbitrary sounds but distinct calls, complemented by expressive gestures using their hands and heads.
Through prolonged observation, Dr. Goodall revealed the chimpanzees of Gombe as unique individuals. She documented complex social dynamics, from dominant figures to those at the lowest rung of the hierarchy, and noted a wide spectrum of personalities — some kind, others cruel, and many exhibiting a mix of both.
Despite earning her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, Dr. Goodall faced criticism from some experts for her unconventional approach, such as naming the Gombe chimpanzees rather than assigning them numbers, and for suggesting they possessed individual personalities. Nevertheless, her profound observations were shared in both rigorous scientific papers and widely beloved books.
Crucially, her accessible and engaging writing inspired countless aspiring scientists to pursue further research into chimpanzees and other apes. Catherine Crockford, a chimpanzee expert at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, shared her personal experience: “It was after reading her books that I put on my boots and binoculars and went out in the jungle.”
Many of Dr. Goodall’s groundbreaking initial observations proved to be astonishingly accurate and far-sighted. Martin Surbeck, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard, remarked, “She opened the window into the mind of chimpanzees.”
Later studies corroborated her insights, showing that personalities are not exclusive to chimpanzees but are present across many animal species. Marc Bekoff, an animal behavior expert at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a long-time friend and colleague, described it as “a paradigm shift.” He was collaborating with Dr. Goodall on a children’s book titled ‘Every Elephant Has A Name’ at the time of her passing.
Dr. Crockford and other researchers have also confirmed that chimpanzees communicate with a wealth of calls and gestures. Their work has recently raised the possibility that some of the fundamental parts of language might have been present in the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans.
Jill Pruetz, a primatologist at Texas State University, highlighted Dr. Goodall’s tool-making observations as among the most significant discoveries in animal behavior. According to Pruetz, “It caused us to re-examine our own species and to rethink the way that we consider and treat other animals.”
Since then, researchers have found chimpanzees to be even more innovative tool-makers than initially understood. Dr. Pruetz, for instance, documented West African chimpanzees crafting spears, which they used to hunt monkeys. Such discoveries reveal that chimpanzees aren’t genetically programmed for specific tools but rather develop diverse tool-making cultures. Dr. Goodall, in her time at Gombe, had observed just one facet of a much broader chimpanzee cultural landscape.
Dr. Goodall’s scientific contributions spanned beyond human evolution, even touching upon the study of global pandemics. She collaborated with University of Pennsylvania virologist Beatrice Hahn to meticulously document H.I.V.-like viruses within the Gombe chimpanzee population.
Dr. Hahn emphasized that Dr. Goodall’s extensive, detailed records—which meticulously charted chimpanzee families and social interactions—were instrumental in tracing the transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus (S.I.V.) among them. These crucial records also demonstrated that S.I.V. adversely impacted the chimpanzees’ health and reproductive success.
Building on this foundational collaboration, Dr. Hahn later proved that H.I.V. itself originated from S.I.V. in chimpanzees, having crossed the species barrier into humans primarily through bush meat hunting.
Dr. Hahn praised Goodall’s collaborative spirit, stating, “Jane’s willingness to collaborate was critical for the success of all our work. She was a true scientist.”
Dr. Goodall never romanticized chimpanzee life. She candidly documented instances of brutal violence, including infanticide, yet her profound understanding always affirmed their rich, complex individual lives.
Joe Walston, Executive Vice President for global conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society, noted that Dr. Goodall’s defining trait was her “deep empathy” for both animals and humans, coupled with an extraordinary ability to forge connections worldwide.
Through countless books, documentaries, interviews, and public speeches, Dr. Goodall became a passionate advocate for protecting global wildlife and their natural habitats. Mr. Walston observed that she was “driven by an uncompromising desire to be able to protect that which she was studying.”
Established in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute now spearheads scientific research and conservation initiatives globally. It also champions Roots & Shoots, an international program empowering young people to lead impactful conservation and humanitarian efforts within their local communities.
Jeanne McCarty, former head of Roots & Shoots and a travel companion of Dr. Goodall, reflected on her unique ability to connect with youth: “She was so good with young people. She kept her own curiosity and energy and enthusiasm that we all have as children and sometimes lose. I never saw her lose that.”