ANTH 311 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Jane Goodall, Richard Wrangham, Lake Tanganyika
30 Oct 2018
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Chimpanzees: so like us we are both captivated and repelled. As we move through the looking glass into their world we are transformed. Chimpanzees, our forest dwelling counterparts, unite us with the rest of nature. Their social life reflects ours too; with paramilitary patrols, political struggles for power and game, even outright wars. The tender affection they show for one another, their gestures and expressions, all seem strangely familiar. Their use of tools forced us to redefine what sets humanity apart from the beast. And now we discover that chimps developed not only tools but entire cultures which they pass onto their young. And when stalked by death they seem to feel a sorrow we can share. With a shiver of recognition, we glimpse into the mind of the chimp and realise we are not alone. Come with us on a voyage of discovery, a journey into our collective past. We retrace our steps back into the forest of africa.
