When I telegrammed the news to Louis Leakey, he responded with the now-famous remark: “Ah! We must now redefine man, redefine tool, or accept chimpanzees as human!” My observations at Gombe challenged human uniqueness, and whenever that happens there is always a violent scientific and theological uproar. On this occasion there were some who tried to discredit my observations because I was untrained, and therefore could not possibly produce reliable information. But the photographs that I eventually obtained proved the truth. Some scientists then actually suggested I must have taught the chimps
...more
