Chimpanzee tool use and social behaviour
Field observations demonstrating tool use, meat-eating and complex social behaviour in wild chimpanzees.
Scientist Exhibit
Jane Goodall
Biology & Life Sciences • Anthropology & Behavioural Science
1934 – Present
United Kingdom
Long-term field observations transformed understanding of chimpanzee behavior
Overview
About Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall began studying wild chimpanzees in what is now Tanzania in 1960. Her patient field observations documented tool use, complex social relationships, hunting, cooperation, and conflict. These findings challenged assumptions about the boundary between humans and other animals. She later became an influential conservationist and educator.
Scientific Contribution
Key Discovery
Life Timeline
Important Moments
1960
career
Begins chimpanzee research at Gombe
Goodall arrived at Gombe in Tanzania and began the long-running study of wild chimpanzee communities.
1960
discovery
Observes chimpanzees making and using tools
Goodall observed chimpanzees modifying and using plant stems to extract termites, challenging assumptions about tool use.
1963
publication
National Geographic publishes her first major cover story
The National Geographic story 'My Life Among the Wild Chimpanzees' brought her research to a global audience.
1966
education
Receives a PhD in ethology from Cambridge
Goodall received her doctorate in ethology from the University of Cambridge.
1977
career
Founds the Jane Goodall Institute
Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute to support research, conservation and community-led action.
Places & Networks
Institutions
research center
Gombe Stream Research Center
Gombe , Tanzania
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