March 21, 1963 From: LOUIS LEAKEY
Correspondence to National Geographic executive Melvin Payne In a memo, Leakey— Jane’s mentor— credited her with a discovery that helped redefine what it means to be human: Chimps make tools. Three years earlier Jane had observed chimps fishing for termites with plant stems. This chimp, photographed in 2005, displays humanlike concen-tration as he snags a termite snack.
INGO ARNDT, MINDEN PICTURES (RIGHT); NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ARCHIVES & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS