Poster Presentation

This study will examine the life of Jane Goodall and her extensive work with the chimpanzee in Tanzania at the Gombe Stream Research Reserve.  Goodall first started her field study in the 1960’s and continues her studies today, making her study the longest uninterrupted field study of any animal in the wild.  Goodall always wanted to go to Africa and study animals since she very young.  In 1958, Dr. L.S. B. Leaky gave Goodall the opportunity to undertake a landmark study of chimpanzee in Tanzania.  She was chosen for this job because she was young, unqualified and her mind remained uncluttered and unbiased by theory.  He also believed she would embark on this study for a real desire for knowledge.  Over her many years of studying she has made major advances in our understanding of the relationship between chimpanzee and humans.  She discovered that chimps eat meat and fashion their grass stems into tools.  She also found that chimpanzee and humans share a similar repertoire of emotions and similar social systems.  These important findings have opened the door to understanding that chimpanzee and humans are closely linked in evolutionary history and with Goodall’s continual research it enables us to better understand the lives of humans.  Goodall’s recognition began with the 1963 articles and television documentaries by the National Geographic Society.  Her fame was further reinforced through her book, In the Shadow of Man, which was a personal and descriptive account of her fieldwork down in Tanzania.