Understanding Humans' Closest Living Relative
The chimpanzee research at Gombe National Park, Tanzania, begun by Jane Goodall in 1960, helps humans understand their closest living relatives and, ultimately, themselves. Current research focuses on aggression and territoriality, the relationship between mothers and infants, chimpanzee culture, and more.
Gombe scientific staff members also helped University of Alabama scientists pioneer a non-invasive DNA collection method as part of a significant ongoing research effort to understand the origins of HIV. The Jane Goodall Institute’s ChimpanZoo program helps zoos design optimal environments for captive chimpanzees. JGI’s Center for Primate Studies, based at the University of Minnesota, collects and analyzes all the research data from Gombe, continually shedding new light on the behavior patterns of wild chimpanzees.
Mother and infant chimpanzees sleeping. Gombe National Park, Tanzania.
© Bill Wallaue