Jane Goodall was one of my earliest role models, and now she is gone.
The Jane Goodall Institute announced the primatologist’s death Wednesday in an Instagram post. According to the institute, Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a U.S. speaking tour.
Her discoveries “revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” the Institute said.
While living among chimpanzees in Africa decades ago, Goodall documented the animals using tools and doing other activities previously believed to be exclusive to humans, and also noted their distinct personalities. Her observations and subsequent magazine and documentary appearances in the 1960s transformed how the world perceived not only humans’ closest living biological relatives but also the emotional and social complexity of all animals, while propelling her into the public consciousness.
Yeah, the 1960s…that’s when I was soaking in National Geographic and the pop-sci magazines, and that’s where I learned about her.
Reminds me of the controversy when Gary Larson published the Far Side cartoon where one chimp finds a blonde hair on (presumably her chimp-husband) and asks angrily if he’s been doing “more ‘research’ with that Goodall tramp?”.
There was an outcry from Goodall fans and even an angry letter from her foundation, but it turned out that she found the whole thing funny and said “”I thought it was very funny. And I think if you make a Gary Larson cartoon, boy you’ve made it,”
She was a passionate and dedicated scientist, and seems like she’d have been a hell of a fun person to know. RIP Dr. Goodall.
She was exceptional. In Attenborough’s category.
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“According to the institute, Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a U.S. speaking tour.”
At age 91! I am impressed.
The world has lost one of its best.
She was a good ‘un.
I mourn.
Huge respect. What a life and legacy. She made the world so much better and gave us all so much knowledge about our zoological cousins and was a genuinely good human being. Vale Jane Goodall.Thankyou.
@ Morales
No dude. In your ignorance you unintentionally insult her. Attenborough was a BBC science populariser who did no original research of any kind. He just made TV.
Goodall was a pioneer in anthropology with no interest in media at all, who inadvertently became famous.
… specifically because her work showed prinates to be much more human-like than previously supposed – which of course struck a chord with the public.
P.S. Weren’t you just recently boasting about how you didn’t need education. X-D
Oh what a great person. One of those rare people who you think, and hope, will live forever.
I must say that I admire the extraordinary courage of the woman for living among war-like animals that are enormously strong.
Silentbob @7: Google ‘famous conservationists’, dumbass.
@ drdrdrdrdralhazeneuler, #10:
Almost every woman has to live among enormously strong, war-like animals. I would not be surprised if Dame Jane Goodall thought the chimpanzees had better manners.
bluerizlagirl @12:
Dian Fossey was murdered by those animals (men) for trying to protect mountain gorillas from poaching. Happily, Birutė Galdikas is still around.
I’ve been very annoyed by the number of obituaries I’ve seen for her that called her an “animal rights activist” rather than a primatologist or biologist. Seemed extraordinarily dismissive of her legacy, especially since animal rights activist is the term usually used to describe people who do pointless stunts like trying to register gorillas to vote or sue aquariums on the claim that keeping marine mammals in captivity violates anti-slavery laws*.
*I’m firmly against keeping cetaceans in captivity but not because it’s slavery, that’s just silly.
Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall are gone but Birutė Galdikas is still with us.
Rob Grigjanis @13
Back in the mid 90s, they had some of her equipment on display at the Baltimore Science Center. I saw it as a kid. It was the first time I realized researchers risked their lives for their work. It affected me in a profound way and I’ve never forgotten the exhibit.
A great scientist and a great person.
She had to put up with enormous condescension early on, and later, jealousy from male scientists who had (for good reason) not become as famous and respected as her. In the early 1990s, when I was trying to make a living as a writer, I was offered a job assisting a well-known ethologist, who I won’t name (he’s dead) with writing a popular treatment of his work. It turned out what he wanted was a hatchet job on Jane Goodall, accusing her of plagiarism or stealing his ideas or something. I declined the work, and strongly advised against publishing any such thing. AFAIK, he never did.
I remember when, as a youngster, watching NOVA, National Geographic specials, Cosmos, Life on Earth, and other science/education programming on my local PBS station. Goodall , Cousteau, Sagan, Burke, Attenborough all contributed to my developing sense of wonder for the natural world and respect for the scientific process. I mourn her passing, but I don’t feel that the circumstances were tragic (so I offer a toast in celebration of her life and work)
I do not want to detract from the topic, but I believe it is relevant that at the same time of her passing, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (that partially funded PBS) essentially ceased to exist.
Interestingly enough, The Far Side did not post the “notorious” cartoon celebrating her today. Goodall herself thought it was hilarious; her humor-impaired institutional colleagues, not so much (they sued for false-light publicity and had to withdraw the lawsuit when Goodall returned from field work and found out about it).
Aussie ABC radio played this episode of ‘Conversations’ earlier today – an old (2008?) interview with Jane Goodall which is 50 minutes long but reckon well worth hearing here :
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/jane-goodall-repeat-obit/105825398
Hope it works for folks here?
Good summary?
Source : https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/from-tool-use-to-warfare-here-are-5-ways-jane-goodall-revolutionized-our-knowledge-of-chimpanzees
An exceptional person indeed. Science and humanity in general owe her a lot.
FWIW The website for the Jane Goodall Institute here :
https://janegoodall.global/