Investigating Nature

Women have led the way in learning about the living things with which we share the planet. They have discovered dinosaur fossils and the tools made by our earliest ancestors, and were among the pioneers of the study of insects. They have spent years living with chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans in order to better understand the connections between humans and other primates. They have also pioneered the investigation of the genes by which adult organisms pass on characteristics to their young. Women were also among the most important pioneers in the conservation of the Earth's most fragile ecosystems. This book tells their stories and describes their vital contributions.