Jane Goodall’s cause of death has been confirmed several weeks after she passed away in her sleep. According to her death certificate, Goodall died of cardiac arrest, also referred to as cardiopulmonary arrest. She was 91. Epilepsy was also noted as a contributing condition.
In a statement released on October 1, the Jane Goodall Institute announced that the celebrated conservationist and animal welfare advocate died "peacefully" while in Los Angeles for a speaking tour. She was found in bed earlier that day.
Goodall was the world's foremost authority on chimpanzees, and for over six decades she helped us understand more about this extraordinary creature, an animal that shares 98.8% of its DNA with humans. But what exactly was the moment that sparked her interest in primates, and what happened next?
Click through and learn more about the world's most famous primatologist.