Jane Goodall, the conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research and globe-spanning environmental advocacy, has died. She was 91. The Jane Goodall Institute announced her death Wednesday, saying she died of natural causes while in California on a U.S. speaking tour. Goodall is best remembered for living among chimpanzees in Africa decades ago and documenting the animals using tools and doing other activities previously believed to be exclusive to humans. She also noted their distinct personalities. Her observations and subsequent magazine and documentary appearances in the 1960s transformed how the world perceived not only humans’ closest living biological relatives but also the emotional and social complexity of all animals.
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