Goodall Chapter 1:
Goodall describes at day observing a troop of chimpanzees while reflecting on the
history and purpose of her work.
We are introduced to many members of the Kasekela Community. Goblin is a top ranking
male. Evered is another male chimp that Goodall is very fond of along with another member,
Fifi. Fifi is the mother of at least four members of the group, including her infant Fossi and her
eight year old daughter.
Fifi was one of the remaining healthy members of her troop after a polio outbreak
killed/disabled many members. Goodall has known her since infancy.
In between discussing her day, Goodall describes memorable moments in her career up
to that point. She once observed a chimp named David use grass to catch termites. She also got
to observe males and females interact at her camp while a female was sexually available. This
particular memory was about Fifi’s mother, Flo, a female chimp that was very popular with male
chimps.
At the end of the day she reflects on the meaning of her work and returns to base camp.
Goodall Chapter 2:
We get a description of Goodall’s education/early career and a series of examples that
show the exceptional intelligence and “humanity” of chimpanzees. Goodall describes receiving
mixed reactions to her work and her understanding of chimp behavior. Some showed interest in
her humanizing view of chimps and the new discoveries being made about chimp intelligence.
Others held onto the belief that humans were the only species to experience culture and deep
emotional experience. Chimps were still seen by many as simple, unfeeling beings.
Some examples of Intelligent behavior Goodall sites in this chapter:
An adolescent male (Figan) learned to wait for older males to leave Goodall’s camp in
order to receive food from the researchers.
Chimps recognize themselves in a mirror (p. 23-25)
Tool use (p.21)
Passing down language (p.23)
Cross model transfer information (p.24)
Understanding amounts; more vs. less (p.24)
Purposefully creating art (p.26)
Key Takeway:
, Goodall believes that the humanization of chimpanzees is an appropriate and necessary
development in the study of chimpanzees. She feels that our understanding of culture, society,
and thought when applied to chimpanzees offers far greater insight into their lives when we
would have otherwise.
Goodall Chapter 3:
Goodall describes the development of the research center and the observed early life of
the son Grub and later life of Flo, who was often attended to by her son Flint.
Goodall Chapter 4:
This chapter compares the upcoming of two females; Fifi and Pom. Fifi was raised by her
mother Flo, a loving, skilled, and high-ranking mother. She also had plenty of playmates growing
up. Pom had an inattentive, neglectful mother (Passion) and no siblings when she was young.
Pom turned out to be a very antisocial and insecure female that stayed strongly bound
to her mother. Mothers and daughters usually don’t maintain a strong social connection in
adulthood once the daughter his sexually mature. Fifi became a high ranking, confident and
attractive female with great reproductive success. Pom proved to be a more effective mother
than Passion, but never met the level of attentiveness that Fifi maintained. Pom lost her son Pan
and became even more dependent on her mother. Fifi thrived independent of her mother.
Key Takeaway:
Social behavior and rank can vary dramatically between family groups. This suggests that
upbringing has significant effect on behavior in addition to genetics.
Goodall Chapter 5:
Goodall recounts Figan’s (Fifi’s brother) rise to power and his eventually rise to the rank
of alpha male. He won his rank by observing Mike’s rise to power, practicing his displays, and
building alliances with other males. Mike was the alpha male until he lost his status to a male
named Humphry who what notably large and aggressive. Figan would have to overcome
Humphry along with his old playmate Evered who was allied with Humphry.
After the death of his mother Flo, he became allied with his brother Faden. Figan
defeated Humphry by himself and attacked during a quiet evening when his foe was settling into
a nest for the night. Figan and Faden defeated Evered by working together and held him hostage
in a tree until he could flee.
Key Takaway:
Goodall describes at day observing a troop of chimpanzees while reflecting on the
history and purpose of her work.
We are introduced to many members of the Kasekela Community. Goblin is a top ranking
male. Evered is another male chimp that Goodall is very fond of along with another member,
Fifi. Fifi is the mother of at least four members of the group, including her infant Fossi and her
eight year old daughter.
Fifi was one of the remaining healthy members of her troop after a polio outbreak
killed/disabled many members. Goodall has known her since infancy.
In between discussing her day, Goodall describes memorable moments in her career up
to that point. She once observed a chimp named David use grass to catch termites. She also got
to observe males and females interact at her camp while a female was sexually available. This
particular memory was about Fifi’s mother, Flo, a female chimp that was very popular with male
chimps.
At the end of the day she reflects on the meaning of her work and returns to base camp.
Goodall Chapter 2:
We get a description of Goodall’s education/early career and a series of examples that
show the exceptional intelligence and “humanity” of chimpanzees. Goodall describes receiving
mixed reactions to her work and her understanding of chimp behavior. Some showed interest in
her humanizing view of chimps and the new discoveries being made about chimp intelligence.
Others held onto the belief that humans were the only species to experience culture and deep
emotional experience. Chimps were still seen by many as simple, unfeeling beings.
Some examples of Intelligent behavior Goodall sites in this chapter:
An adolescent male (Figan) learned to wait for older males to leave Goodall’s camp in
order to receive food from the researchers.
Chimps recognize themselves in a mirror (p. 23-25)
Tool use (p.21)
Passing down language (p.23)
Cross model transfer information (p.24)
Understanding amounts; more vs. less (p.24)
Purposefully creating art (p.26)
Key Takeway:
, Goodall believes that the humanization of chimpanzees is an appropriate and necessary
development in the study of chimpanzees. She feels that our understanding of culture, society,
and thought when applied to chimpanzees offers far greater insight into their lives when we
would have otherwise.
Goodall Chapter 3:
Goodall describes the development of the research center and the observed early life of
the son Grub and later life of Flo, who was often attended to by her son Flint.
Goodall Chapter 4:
This chapter compares the upcoming of two females; Fifi and Pom. Fifi was raised by her
mother Flo, a loving, skilled, and high-ranking mother. She also had plenty of playmates growing
up. Pom had an inattentive, neglectful mother (Passion) and no siblings when she was young.
Pom turned out to be a very antisocial and insecure female that stayed strongly bound
to her mother. Mothers and daughters usually don’t maintain a strong social connection in
adulthood once the daughter his sexually mature. Fifi became a high ranking, confident and
attractive female with great reproductive success. Pom proved to be a more effective mother
than Passion, but never met the level of attentiveness that Fifi maintained. Pom lost her son Pan
and became even more dependent on her mother. Fifi thrived independent of her mother.
Key Takeaway:
Social behavior and rank can vary dramatically between family groups. This suggests that
upbringing has significant effect on behavior in addition to genetics.
Goodall Chapter 5:
Goodall recounts Figan’s (Fifi’s brother) rise to power and his eventually rise to the rank
of alpha male. He won his rank by observing Mike’s rise to power, practicing his displays, and
building alliances with other males. Mike was the alpha male until he lost his status to a male
named Humphry who what notably large and aggressive. Figan would have to overcome
Humphry along with his old playmate Evered who was allied with Humphry.
After the death of his mother Flo, he became allied with his brother Faden. Figan
defeated Humphry by himself and attacked during a quiet evening when his foe was settling into
a nest for the night. Figan and Faden defeated Evered by working together and held him hostage
in a tree until he could flee.
Key Takaway:
