The First Woman Out Of Three

The infamous event of the Piltdown hoax is one that continues to draw speculative attention over a century after the initial announcement of the paleoanthropological findings. Although many scientists, especially those involved in the field of paleoanthropology, would like to forget the incident entirely, the Piltdown man—taxonomically referred to as Eoanthropus dawsoni—is perhaps the greatest hoax in anthropological history. By 1912, British archaeologists and paleontologists were desperate for a significant paleoanthropological finding that would provide the missing link between humans and apes in hominin evolution (Prosser, 2009). The Piltdown man was originally a famous finding that straddled the human-animal boundary, dichotomously

Primates are one of the most interesting mammals on earth, not only because of their complex social structures, but because they hold so many similar characteristics to humans. Primates are often cited as our closest living relatives and on two separate occasions I observed four separate species of primates at the San Diego Zoo that can justify their use of their physical characteristics and behaviors that may be similar as well as different to the other primates and ours.

Primatology is the scientific study of non-human primate behaviors among wild apes, monkeys and other related animals in natural settings or in laboratories by conducting lab experiments and studies on captive primates. A person who studies primatology is a primatologist. There are many reasons for studying primates, but possibly the most significant reason is to learn about the origins of humans. When studying primatology, one can easily observe the behavioral similarities primates share with humans, and probably begin to understand how humans got to where they are today. The reason anthropology studies primates over any other animal is because primates are the closest living relatives to humans. One primatologist, who significantly surpassed many others in her field, was Jane Goodall. Jane Goodall studied the behaviors of primates and other animals as well, but she specifically studied chimpanzees. Goodall in her book, In the Shadows of Man, shared her three groundbreaking discoveries she achieved through her extensive observations and research. Goodall’s three major discoveries were the complex social system chimps had lived, the hunting and meat consumption process and the usage of tools. Goodall’s research lead to massive evolution in primatology because her research was the starting point that allowed other primatologist to conduct other important researches on chimpanzees and other primates. They managed to study primates in a

Despite a lack of scientific academic education, Jane Goodall’s work on the chimpanzees made revolutionary breakthrough in the field of understanding chimpanzee behavior. It was all made possible by her firm belief on her unconventional methods which academics in the field eyed with cynicism and felt was pointless. Such pessimistic outlook on her efforts from established academics did not blight her morale; instead she carried on with her methods of analyzing the chimpanzee population with full enthusiasm and self belief.

Jane Goodall is a historical woman that has taught human beings not only about chimpanzees, but human nature as well. This primatologist held on to a dream from childhood that advanced into reality. Jane quietly and patiently observed chimps in Africa, and then recorded their every move. Many important discoveries came about because of this. Jane Goodall has remarkably changed the perception of chimpanzees and humans alike.

Goodall, J. (1971). In the Shadow of Man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. The author’s goal in writing this book is to discuss her experiences and what she had learned from studying wild Chimpanzees. Goodall wrote this book in order to convey her knowledge of a species of animal she loves very much, so that others may become educated and join her in protecting them. She dreamed of going to Africa to see them, and was offered a job by Dr. Lewis Leakey. Goodall wanted nothing more than a chance to help. Her experiences in surrounding herself with them have completely changed the way scientists conduct field research. Whether she intended to or not, the data she has collected has debunked myths and uncovered truths about chimpanzees, while bringing more light to human behavior.

Throughout the term, reading the book, “Through a Window” by Jane Goodall has been quite intriguing for me, in that it has inspired me with new ideas and perceptions about how our own species has evolved over time. I have really enjoyed seeing the many similarities that hominids share with other primate species, especially chimpanzees. Goodall’s research only further proves that we are not only extremely biologically similar to chimpanzees in our DNA, but have many behavioral similarities as well. The film, “Monkey in the Mirror” also shows support for our likeness in intellectuality. These documented findings on chimpanzee and human resemblances provides the strong evidence needed to conclude the fact that humans do indeed share a common ancestor with great apes.

Within this essay, we will study more in depth the behavioral as well as physical traits of two primates at a zoo from their interaction with their peers to their place in the group. This observation would enable us to further understand the possible existing correlation between humans and primates. First, I studied a female chimpanzee with her baby, and then, a dominant male gorilla, in San Francisco Zoo at about noon, on May 23, 2015, for an hour each. Even though they share some similarities such as having a large brain, living for a long time, and being bored in their enclosure, they are still different; when gorillas are the largest, chimpanzees are the smartest. In fact, chimps use tools to catch food, they would not be able to reach

Today Jane Goodall is the director of research at Gombe and she continues to advocate for conservation. She also started the Chimpanzee guardian project which has set up halfway homes for chimpanzees.

In conclusion, Jane Goodall struggled for a change in how Chimpanzees are researched. She once said, “the least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves” when it comes to researching Chimpanzees. Goodall started working for a documentary film and decided to go to africa, made lots of discoveries, and had a huge impact on

Kavanagh, M. & Morris, D. (1983). Complete guide to monkeys, apes and other primates. London: Viking Press.

Many scientists and theorists have used primates to determine what early human sexuality might have been like. We have all descended from primates, Homo Sapiens are 1 of 5 surviving species of great apes; Alongside Chimpanzees, Bonobos, Gorillas and Orangutans. Evolutionary theorists Ryan and Jetha used primates, specifically Bonobos, to prove our ancestors promiscuity. Zuk however, uses example from all primates to show various types of living, not just promiscuity. By

Jane Goodall was one of the most influential women in science to date, especially in terms of research. She was raised in London, England in the mid-1900s by a middle class family (Encyclopedia of World Biography, n.d.). As she grew older, she grew more and more curious. This was not the standard curiosity every child exhibits at one time or another; Jane possessed a curiosity that consumed her whole being. She did not solely wonder what something was, but what it was in comparison to her and her surroundings, how it affected them, and how it changed them. At one point, she had been so consumed by learning how a hen laid an egg from inside the hen house that her parents had called the police to report her missing as she had been gone for four hours (Goodall, 1999). Her

Ideas are built upon fundamental ideas. When the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis (AAH) was proposed over 70 years ago, it received criticism from the scientific community because of the multiple theories that had been established based on the Savanna Hypothesis; however, the Savanna Hypothesis was proven to be false. The foundation is essential to any hypothesis and theory. There is always space for exploration and accepting other methods and ideas – that is the heart of Science. The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis can be proven through the similarities drawn between humans and aquatic mammals in the areas of human physiology and brain biochemistry.

Previously, I chose biological anthropology for one of my general education science requirements. As a class project, the professor gave us the incredible opportunity to study the primates at the San Diego Zoo. The assignment was to choose two primate species to focus on: one species from the old world and one from the new world. I decided to observe the tufted Capuchins and the Bornean and Sumatran orangutans. My classmates and I were to describe the primates’ appearances, behaviors, eating patterns, and to paint a picture of specific encounters that occurred during the time of our