Jane Goodall Dies at 91 of Natural Causes

Dr. Jane Goodall, the world-renowned British primatologist and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, died at age 91 in California of natural causes while on a U.S. speaking tour, the institute announced. Her decades-long study of wild chimpanzees, begun in Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park in 1960, revolutionized ethology by showing chimpanzees communicate, have individual personalities, use and make tools, and possess complex social bonds. The institute praised her discoveries as having “revolutionised science,” and she was a tireless global advocate for conservation and environmental protection. She served as a U.N. Messenger of Peace and received numerous honors, including the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. Goodall remained an active public speaker, with recent engagements such as a talk at The Plaza Hotel in New York and a nearly sold-out Los Angeles/UCLA appearance that had been scheduled. This is a developing story and further details are pending.