"In The Shadow of Man" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Louis Leakey chose her after she became an assistant secretary in his museum office.

Jane writes that she was always interested in animals. Her mother gave her a toy chimpanzee, named Jubilee, when she was a year old. Jubilee was her favorite companion, and she still has the toy! When visiting a friend in Kenya, she was told that if she really was interested in animals, she should meet Dr. Leakey.

At the time he was curator of the National Museum in Nairobi. He gave her a job as an assistant secretary, which eventually led to an invitation to participate in the Leakey's paleontological dig at the Olduvai Gorge. Jane believed she was chosen because of her lack of formal education; she would begin the study with a completely unbiased belief, with a real desire to acquire knowledge. All she needed was patience and perseverance! Later, Leakey insisted that Jane attend university in England, primarily because he believed a degree would given her findings more validity, and help her face less criticism from the scientific community.

Answer: Tanzania

At the time Jane began her study, the area was known as Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve, and it was located in Tanganyika. Today Gombe National Park is the smallest reserve in Africa, and is accessible only by boat. The Chief Game Warden from the Tanganyika Game Department helped her to establish her camp, on the condition that she was accompanied by someone.

Initially there were some problems with the fishermen in the area, which delayed her arrival; Jane was afraid she would never see the reserve, but eventually the area was deemed safe enough, and she was able to set up camp.

Answer: Her mother, Vanne

Jane's mother, Vanne, had already been visiting in Africa, and because it was unheard of for a woman to travel in Africa alone, volunteered to go along. Jane writes of how she and her mother both contracted malaria about three months after they arrived at camp; her mother also ran a clinic, helping the native people overcome various maladies.

This enabled the small group to have positive contact with the native people; Jane credits her mother with helping her to establish good relations, keeping the camp neat, and being a valuable friend, with whom she could share her fears and joys. Vanne stayed for about five months until it was determined that Jane was safe enough to stay on her own; Jane says that she missed her mother desperately, but found a way to cope with the loneliness.

She threw herself deeper into her work!

Answer: The Peak

Jane found her peak after experiencing a bout of malaria approximately three months after arriving in camp. She was impatient to get back to work, tired of being sick, and seriously concerned that the funding money for her study would run out. She climbed a mountain, one she had visited on her first day in camp, that rose directly above their site, about a thousand feet above. Because it was such a great vantage point, she decided to wait there, and was able to see several groups of chimpanzees. That day was a turning point in her study.

She had found the place where she could carry out her study. She returned to her peak, and brought provisions for a tiny camp there so she could say for longer periods of time. Today the area is called "Jane's Peak".

Answer: Grass Stem

Until this finding in November of 1960, scientists believed humans were the only species to make tools. There had been two previous reports by accidental observers: one, where chimps had used a rock to break open palm-nut kernels, and the other, where they had pushed sticks into an underground bees' nest for the honey. Jane's chimps were using a grass stem, pushing it into a hole to collect termites for food. Louis Leakey, hearing of Jane's observation said, "Now we must redefine tool, redefine Man, or accept chimpanzees as humans."

Answer: David Graybeard and Goliath

Jane was always careful to keep her distance and make her movements non-threatening. As the first few weeks went by, she began to recognize some of the chimpanzees and give them names, although she was openly criticized in the scientific community for not being more, well, scientific! Some people believed she should use numbers to catalog the individuals. Goliath, who was the highest-ranking male in the group at the time, had a superb physique. David Graybeard, she believed, always seemed to be the least afraid of her.

She noted that day that the two looked at her and began grooming each other, finally accepting her presence.

Answer: The chimpanzees loved to chew on clothes and cardboard.

It became very important to keep these items out of their reach! Jane believed that they especially enjoyed chewing on sweaty garments because of the salty flavor. Jane tells a story about David Graybeard and a chimpanzee named William who took a blanket from one of the tents, and sat together, each chewing their own corner!

Answer: Photographer

Jane was very reluctant to have anyone else in camp, but after eighteen months of study, she agreed that someone needed to document her discoveries. She asked that her sister, Judy, be allowed to do so. Judy did not have training as a photographer, but Jane knew Judy would not disturb her work. So Judy took the first pictures. Louis Leakey, however, knew professional photographer Hugo van Lawek and wanted to have a documentary filmed.

As it turned out, the chimpanzees accepted Hugo with "very little fuss", and Hugo became Jane's first husband.

Answer: True

Jane tells a story about a mother, Pom, and her daughter, Passion. They were observed taking infants from their mothers and eating them. In addition, Jane found one community of chimpanzees that appeared to systematically kill members of a smaller splinter group with whom they had previously appeared to be friends, grooming, eating and playing together. This information is included in postscript of a later edition of her book.

Answer: Flo

Flo and her offspring visited Jane's camp regularly. She describe Flo as physically appearing to be very old and skinny with worn-down teeth, but with an aggressive character who was "tough as nails". When Jane first "met" Flo, she had a baby Jane named Fifi; eventually she gave birth to Flint, and there was some serious sibling rivalry between the two. Eventually Fifi was allowed to carry her younger brother on her back. Flo became such a popular subject in Jane's writings that, when she died in 1972, the "London Times" printed an obituary!