She told the Atlantic, “In order to impress rivals, males seeking to rise in the dominance hierarchy perform spectacular displays: stamping, slapping the ground, dragging branches, throwing rocks. The more vigorous and imaginative the display, the faster the individual is likely to rise in the hierarchy, and the longer he is likely to maintain that position.”
Jane Goodall’s remarks on who then was a presidential candidate created a lot of stir at the time. But she wasn’t done.
Years later, in an interview with MSNBC in 2022, she was reminded of her past comments. As the host, Ari Melber, played a clip of Trump hugging and kissing the American flag, calling himself a “perfect physical specimen,” the scientist was at it again.
“I see the same sort of behaviour as a male chimpanzee will show when he is competing for dominance with another,” Jane Goodall said and laughed. “They’re upright, they swagger, they project themselves as really more large and aggressive than they may actually be in order to intimidate their rivals,” Goodall added.
She continued with a comment about her view of the state of the US, saying, “I see that the divisiveness that’s being created in America is a tragedy and it is a tragedy that can have a ripple effect around the world.”
What do you think of this? Please share your opinion in the comment section on Facebook!
