Jane Goodall (1934 - ) Notable Achievements Dr. Goodall has radically changed the field of primatology both in terms of how chimps are studied and by observing how similar to human beings they are. Expeditions include Olduvai Gorge, Bombe National Park, Tanzania to study wild chimpanzees; Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro crater to study hyaenas and wild dogs. Occupation/Field of Study: PhD, Ethology; Primatologist and conservation education promoter. Exploration Zone: Land: Chimpanzees, Primatology, primate, monkey, chimp, ape; Location of Activity: Africa: Tanzania; Period of Activity: 1951-2000; 2001- current; Biography "Jane Goodall began her 40 year study of the chimpanzees of Gombe simply by watching. She arrived at the camp on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in the summer of 1960. With no scientific background, she had prepared for her journey by speaking to wildlife experts and researchers who gave her only disappointing news. Chimpanzees were impossible to observe. They would never get used to humans in the field. No one had succeeded in this area of animal research. For the first three months, their stories seemed to be true. Her initial forays produced discouraging results. She had been assigned two scouts to help her locate the animals, but Jane found it impossible to observe the chimpanzee families from a distance through the dense foliage. Jane longed to be alone in the forest. Three months had already passed, and she had funding only for a total of six. One morning she rose early and climbed to a high overlook 1000 feet above her small camp. Sitting silently on what she would later call “the Peak,” she suddenly saw a group of chimps a short distance away. They stared at her, unafraid. It was the true beginning of what was to become one of the major scientific studies of the century. Jane’s visible presence was a message to the animals that she was harmless. She had relinquished control of the situation to them and she was not a threat. Within the next two months, she was to make the two groundbreaking discoveries that would win her noteriety and ensure her ability to continue her research. First she observed a male chimpanzee eating meat. Until that time it had been thought that chimpanzees were vegetarians. A short time later, she watched as the same chimp fashioned a tool from a stem of grass and poked it into a termite mound, fishing for his meal. Previous to that time, the prevalent theory was that the making of tools was something that separated man from other animals. Her findings were at once controversial. Goodall’s approach had run counter to the style of scientific observation popular during that time. Just as Dian Fossey and Cynthia Moss would do in later years, she gave her subjects names instead of numbers. She described in stories what scientists would quantify, measure and plot out on charts. Most importantly, she did not begin with a theory she intended to prove. She began by watching. In 1986, Dr. Goodall joined the fight to protect chimpanzees, both in the wild and in captivity. The populations have been threatened over the past several decades with poaching and the illegal trade of bush meat, now popular in Africa. Her passionate efforts to improve the conditions of laboratory research animals have been occupying much of Goodall’s. time. She travels all over the world, investigating, lobbying, and giving talks aimed at sparing these and other animals from needless cruelty and horrendous conditions found in so many testing labs. Her fame and popularity has been leveraged to help the plight of her beloved family. What Dr. Goodall began in 1960 has evolved into the longest running scientific study of its kind. She has published numerous books, has appeared in numerous films and documentaries, established the Jane Goodall Institute and Roots and Shoots. Through her continued efforts, she has opened the eyes and minds of millions of humans to the wonders of our closest living relative." -Women of Discovery, Milbry Polk. Publications Ahead of Their Time: A Biographical Dictionary of Risk-Taking Women Joyce Duncan (2002) Book: Biography;