LONDON, Oct. 2 -- Renowned scientist and activist Jane Goodall, who transformed a childhood fascination with primates into a lifelong mission to protect the environment, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 91, her institute announced.

The Jane Goodall Institute said she died of natural causes."Dr. Goodall's discoveries as an ethologist revolutionised science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world," it said in a statement.

Goodall rose to global prominence for her groundbreaking studies on chimpanzees in the 1960s, defying both scientific norms and gender barriers of her time. She gave chimps names rather than numbers, recognised their distinct personalities, and highlighted their soci...