Sisters of the Jungle: The Trailblazing Women Who Shaped the Study of Wild Primates

Mixing science, adventure, and personal experience, primatologist McGoogan (Chasing Lemurs) has created a captivating account of how women such as Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birutė Galdikas have shaped the field of primatology. Citing several plausible theories as to why women dominate this scientific discipline, McGoogan highlights the influence of famed anthropologist Louis Leakey, who championed women as better observers of animal behavior than men. From the 1950s to the ’70s, he supported the work of “the Trimates,” the nickname given to Goodall, Fossey, and Galdikas, all of whom studied primates in their natural habitats, with Goodall focusing on chimpanzees in Tanzania; Fossey, mountain gorillas in Rwanda; and Galdikas, orangutans in Borneo. These researchers became renowned for their landmark scientific discoveries and were powerful voices for animal activism and conservation. McGoogan also tells the stories of lesser-known primatologists, such as Jeanne Altmann, whose blueprint for behavioral observation techniques revolutionized the field, and Sarah Hrdy, whose work with the langur monkeys of India led to startling revelations about the evolutionary roots of infanticide. Alongside these women’s stories, McGoogan seamlessly integrates her own experience as a field scientist studying primates in Belize and Madagascar. Filled with stories of grit, determination, and passion, this inspires. (Sept.)