People once thought gorillas were violent, chimpanzees ate only plants, and orangutans were impossible to study. Three women showed otherwise. Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and BirutŽ Galdikas completely changed the entire study of apes. Their work also gave humans new ways to understand their own behavior.
Jane Goodall is known for her work with chimpanzees. She went into the jungle after deciding it made most sense to study her subjects where they lived. For more than 50 years, she has made amazing observations that changed what humans know about chimps. For example, Goodall saw chimps using sticks and grass to catch insects to eat. This was the first time it became clear that humans were not the only animals that use tools. Goodall was also the first person to see chimps work as a group to hunt monkeys and eat their meat. Part of her work involved getting to know each chimpanzee personally. She gave them names instead of numbers. Her work was successful because she saw the animals as more than just research subjects. …show more content…
She thought the best way to learn about these apes was to watch them where they lived. Fossey studied gorillas so closely, she learned to act like one. This led a group of gorillas to accept her as one of their own. Once they did, Fossey learned remarkable things about how much gorillas and humans are alike. For example, young gorillas play, tickle, and wrestle with each other, just like human children. In addition, gorillas talk to each other, express sadness, and even laugh. Fossey showed the world that gorillas are often kind, tender, and gentle, not violent as was
Jane Goodall is known for her work with chimpanzees. She went into the jungle after deciding it made most sense to study her subjects where they lived. For more than 50 years, she has made amazing observations that changed what humans know about chimps. For example, Goodall saw chimps using sticks and grass to catch insects to eat. This was the first time it became clear that humans were not the only animals that use tools. Goodall was also the first person to see chimps work as a group to hunt monkeys and eat their meat. Part of her work involved getting to know each chimpanzee personally. She gave them names instead of numbers. Her work was successful because she saw the animals as more than just research subjects. …show more content…
She thought the best way to learn about these apes was to watch them where they lived. Fossey studied gorillas so closely, she learned to act like one. This led a group of gorillas to accept her as one of their own. Once they did, Fossey learned remarkable things about how much gorillas and humans are alike. For example, young gorillas play, tickle, and wrestle with each other, just like human children. In addition, gorillas talk to each other, express sadness, and even laugh. Fossey showed the world that gorillas are often kind, tender, and gentle, not violent as was