Jane Goodall: Reshaping History

After meticulously observing and charting the characteristics of chimpanzees living in the vast Gombe forest, Jane Goodall unknowingly stumbled upon a discovery that would shape the current view of primates. In 1960, Goodall witnessed Gombe chimpanzee David Greybeard using his forehands hunting for termites in tree barks, blurring the lines of what scientists previously believed were especially human traits. Dubbed the “Chimpanzee Lady,” Jane Goodall, 86, has tirelessly advocated for the conversations of primates and the environment. For over 50 years, Goodall traveled the world and documented previously unknown traits and characteristics of primate animals, debunking many myths surrounding primates.

When most people think of intellectuals, they may first imagine older men working in laboratories making renowned discoveries or politicians in form-fitting suits. Still, Goodall, with no previous academic training and hid in wild bushes observing primates in the rugged forests in Gombe, is just as fit to be a public intellectual in her own right. Professor and Author Stephen Mack described that the public must shift their attitudes about Public intellectuals from what title a person has to what the person has done. Mack states, “That is, our notions of the public intellectual need to focus less on who or what a public intellectual is—and by extension, the qualifications for getting and keeping the title. Instead, we need to be more concerned with the work public intellectuals must do.”

Within this definition, Goodall fits into the mold of a Public Intellectual. Although she did not receive her degree during her life-changing discovery, Goodall has shaped the modern view of primate education and conversation study.

Since her early childhood, Goodall carried an immense passion for animals. Growing up in London during the height of World War II in the 1940s, Goodall’s early adolescence was filled with sounds of bombs, threats of war, and uncertainty caused by World War II. However, Goodall found comfort within the chaos in animals, often spending most of her time in the hen house and race snails. In the summer of 1955, after receiving an invitation to visit a friend in Gombe, Goodall began researching her studies on primates 1960. In 1957, Goodall made her way to Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, where she met the paleontologist Louis Leakey. Leakey created a hypothesis that humans and chimpanzees shared a common ancestor, a preposterous claim during those years. Goodall has no previous education or influence from college institutions, but having a deep curiosity in nature and animals made her a perfect candidate to study primates without a college-educated researcher's lenses. Working with Leakey would be a transformative experience for Goodall, who would later discover evidence and change the view of modern-day primates.

By 1960 with enough funds to conduct her research, Goodall was stationed at Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania to begin her research. In Tasmania, Goodall scrunched under bushes while constantly jotting down notes of the primates. It took a few months of trying to befriend the primates, as each time Goodall approached the primates, they would flee the opposite direction. Until one chimpanzee, which Goodall named David Greybeard, named after his white-tufted chin, accepted Goodall and was comfortable around her presence. With the acceptance from David Greybeard, other primates followed suit with their acceptance of Goodall.

On November 4, 1961, Goodall observed David Greybeard stripping the leaves off a tree branch and using the branch as a tool to pick up termites from their mounds. Goodall hypothesized that the branch was used to collect the termites and disrupt the inside system. Goodall’s discovery set the foundation for the possibility that tool use, previously believed to be uniquely human, was no longer. Upon this discovery, Goodall called Dr. Leakey about this historical discovery, to which he responded, “Now we must redefine tools, redefine man, or accept chimpanzees as human.”

In her 2014 TedTalk session, Goodall recalls her game-changing find. “I saw this dark shape, hunched over a termite mound, and I peered with my binoculars…The reason this was so exciting and such a breakthrough is at that time; it was thought that humans, and only humans, used and made tools. When I was at school, we were defined as man, the toolmaker.”

To understand the full impact of Goodall, we must first understand the theory behind primates. Before 1961, primates were perceived to be in the lower structure in the animal kingdom with no ability to process emotions, have personalities, and be incapable of using tools. Goodall shook the scientific community, changing how we should view primates. In the 2014 TedTalk interview, Goodall theorized that the pattern of tool-making was most likely a generational trait. Chimpanzees were no longer unintelligent but complex brain systems that practiced generational patterns through imitations.

“It seems that these patterns are passed from one generation to the next, through observation, imitation, and practice -- that is a definition of human culture. We have found that, after all, there isn't a sharp line dividing humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. It's a very fuzzy line,” says Goodall.

Since Goodall's discovery over 50 years ago, it has opened the door for other researchers to look beyond what it meant to be human. Other researchers have observed chimpanzees using more than half a dozen tools for various purposes throughout Africa. Through the trailblazing work from Goodall, she is inspiring other scientists that many observations are yet to be made when it comes to wildlife. Not only was Goodall’s discovery trailblazing for other scientists, but Goodall also took an unconventional approach in her research. During the early days of Goodall’s career, she was met with criticism for naming the primates she studied. At the time, naming research animals was frowned upon as it was viewed as highly unprofessional and deemed unscientific, and numbers were used instead of names. Instead, Goodall changed science yet again with her unconventional approach. Through her observations of each chimpanzee, she personalized their names to make their personalities. During the ’60s, many of her fellow male colleagues frowned and mocked Goodall about her naming practice as a woman in academia. In an interview with The Guardian, Goodall their taunting, saying, “They objected – quite unpleasantly – to me naming my subjects and for suggesting that they had personalities, minds, and feelings. I didn't care.”

Through this practice, Goodall made the again connection that seemed to link humans and primates; the idea that primates have emotions, minds, and personalities just like other male scientists and colleagues patronized Goodall for her “malpractice,” but Goodall stayed true to her beliefs, and with a steady head pursued to name each primate and continued her work.

What makes Goodall different from other scientists at that time was her insight to look at the possibility that humans and primates were closely related. Her innovative thinking, is a skill that public intellectualist carry, a sense of looking outside of societal ideas. Primates that were previously regarded as lower level animals on the intelligence scale, through their supposed lack of skills and emotion was proved to be a myth from Goodall's work. Goodall debunking this false narrative about primates was the turning point for the scientific community to recognize that it was time to reconsider their definition of being human.

Goodall credits her work that helped modern day scientists to move away from outdated information. Creating a shift in public knowledge about primates is Goodall's greatest achievement, she said.

Being a woman in academia during the ’60s was tough enough to break through, but with Goodall not having a degree, it made it more difficult for her research to have credibility. So, with the guidance of Louis Leakey, in 1962, she was accepted at Cambridge University as a Ph.D. candidate, one of the very few people to be admitted without a university degree. With new credibility with her Ph.D., Goodall made her way back to observe the chimpanzees. Goodall published her following groundbreaking observation in her book Shadow of Man (1971), where she debunks the myths that chimpanzees were vegetarians. Goodall observed them hunting, killing, and eating other monkeys and pigs. Goodall continued to publish groundbreaking discoveries in her book, The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior (1986). Goodall observed that their chimpanzees were similar to humans again with their desires and emotions by engaging in war-type activities, like forming war groups and killing their species, just like humans Goodall observed.“It was both fascinating and appalling to learn that chimpanzees were capable of hostile and territorial behavior that was not unlike certain forms of primitive human warfare,” says Goodall in her 1986 book.

After reviewing Goodall’s work, one might ask, “So if Chimpanzees are similar to humans, what makes us different?” Goodall says it is the ability to communicate using spoken words. Goodall summarized her belief in the 2014 TedTalk, saying, “The one thing we have, which makes us so different from chimpanzees or other living creatures, is this sophisticated spoken language -- a language with which we can tell children about things that aren't here.”

Goodall has dedicated her life to making connections between animals and humans. This is why she is the ideal public intellectual. As a researcher in Gombe, Goodall faced many adversaries, from questioning her scientific practices of naming species, being a woman in a male-dominated world, and breaking boundaries without a college education. However, instead of scorning away from her work, she continued to stay true to herself by using her passion for the environment and her love of animals to guide her through those obstacles. Because of Jane Goodall’s dedication and passion, she created her foundation, The Jane Goodall Institute and Shoots and Roots, a program that will train the next generation of conservationists for animals and humans. Through Goodall’s tireless efforts, she is credited for opening the doors for women in science. Since Goodall’s scientific discoveries, 60% of bachelor's degrees earned by women are in biology. Her work has earned her nearly 50 honorary degrees, became a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2022 and won a National Geographic Society Centennial Award in 1988. Goodall continues her work today, speaking out about the mistreatment of chimpanzees, environmental crises, and her conservation programs.

Without a doubt, Jane Goodall is an exceptional example of a public intellectual. From starting without any experience researching primates to making groundbreaking discoveries, Goodall’s scientific contributions changed the methodologies of primatology, influencing discovery while influencing the next generation of women in science. Her work leaves a great legacy today, which encourages a quench of knowledge about human connections with other animals. While there may continue to be more groundbreaking discoveries in the scientific world, there will never be another Jane Goodall, a pioneer.