Valerie jane morris-goodall biography of nancy

ThestoryofJaneGoodallislikeacampfiretale.Itgetsbetterwitheachtelling.Herstoryhasbeentoldmanytimesinmanyways.So,peoplerecognizeitrightaway.In1965,Janewasayoung,untestedscientist.Shewantedtolearnaboutchimpanzees.Shehadnotraininginresearch.Yet,shemanagedtomovethroughthemostlymaleworldsofscienceandmedia,makingdiscoveriesinherfield.Thisisher story.

ValerieJaneMorris‑GoodallgrewupinEngland.Fromanearlyage,shewasfascinatedbyanimals.ShedreamedoflivinginAfrica.Shecouldnotaffordcollege.So,Goodallwenttoschooltobecomeasecretary.Herfirstjobwasasawaitress.ShesavedhermoneyforanoceanpassagetoKenya,in Africa.

Oncethere,shemet with
paleoanthropologistLouisS. B.Leakey.Hisinterestingreatapesledhimtoresearchtheoriginsofhumans.LeakeyhiredGoodallasasecretary.Later,hearrangedforhertoresearchchimpanzeesinanotherAfricancountrycalled Tanzania.

Bythesummerof1960,GoodallwassettingupcampintheGombeStreamReserve.Leakeyhadraisedthemoneyforhertocarryoutsixmonthsof fieldwork.

Goodallfollowedherinstinctsforherresearch.Thescientificpracticewastousenumberstoidentifyanimalsbeingstudied.Instead,Goodallrecordedobservationsofthechimpsbynamesshemadeup.TherewasFifi,Flo,Flint,andevenMr. McGregor.

Goodallspentmanyhourslookingforchimpsthroughherbinoculars.Onceshespottedthem,she’dtrytomoveclosersothey’dgetusedtoher.Butwithonemonthleftinherstudy,shehadn’tgottenclose,andthechimpsweren’tusedtoher.Norhadshemadeanyimportant discoveries.

DavidGreybeardvisitsGoodall’s camp.

FlinttakesapeekatGoodallfromthetopofher tent.

Theneverythingchanged.Goodallmadethreediscoveries.ThesewouldnotonlymakeLeakeyproudbutwouldalsoturnscienceonits head.

Inherfirstdiscovery,sheobservedachimpeatingadeadanimal.Untilthen,scientiststhoughtthatapesdidn’teatmeat.ShehadnamedthischimpDavidGreybeard.Twoweekslater,sheobservedthesamechimpagain.Hepokedabladeofgrassintoatermitetunnel.Whenhepulleditout,itwascoveredwithtermites,whichheslurped down.

Inanotherinstance,GoodallsawDavidGreybeardpickatwig.Thenhestrippedit ofitsleavesandusedittofishfortermites.Hehadexhibitedtooluseand toolmaking—twothingsthatonlyhumanswerethoughtcapableof.WhennewsreachedLeakey,he said:

NOWWEMUSTREDEFINETOOLSTOPREDEFINEMANSTOP
OR ACCEPTCHIMPANZEESAS HUMAN

Leakey’s telegram

FreudcarefullyinspectsGoodall’s hair.

EUROPE

ENGLAND

AFRICA

KENYA

ATLANTIC
OCEAN

TANZANIA