Gorillas, the largest living primates, have long captivated human interest. Their “discovery” by Western science involves distinguishing between ancient accounts and formal scientific classification. This clarifies how these remarkable creatures became known to the broader scientific world.
Ancient Records of Great Apes
Long before formal scientific classification, accounts of large, ape-like creatures existed in historical records. Hanno the Carthaginian, a 5th-century BC explorer, journeyed along the West African coast and documented encountering “savage people” or “gorillae” with hairy bodies. These “gorillae” were described as mostly women who fought fiercely. Hanno’s expedition reportedly captured three females, whose skins were brought back to Carthage and displayed in a temple.
These ancient accounts hinted at unknown primates but lacked the detailed study needed for scientific classification. The term “gorillae,” derived from Ancient Greek, was later applied to the modern gorilla genus. Hanno’s encounter likely involved chimpanzees or another large ape, not what we now recognize as gorillas. These early narratives remained largely within legend and did not constitute a formal scientific discovery.
The Initial Scientific Discovery
The formal scientific recognition of gorillas occurred in the mid-19th century. In 1847, American physician and missionary Dr. Thomas S. Savage obtained the skull and bones of an unknown ape species. He collaborated with anatomist Dr. Jeffries Wyman, and they published the first scientific description in the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History.
Savage and Wyman named the new species Troglodytes gorilla, using the ancient term “gorilla” from Hanno’s account. Their anatomical study established gorillas as a distinct genus, Gorilla. This 1847 publication is considered the pivotal moment for the formal scientific discovery of the western gorilla. French explorer Paul Du Chaillu later provided the first visual sightings and photographic evidence of live gorillas between 1856 and 1859, further confirming their existence.
Unveiling Other Gorilla Species
The initial scientific discovery primarily focused on what is now known as the Western Lowland Gorilla. However, the full diversity within the gorilla family was revealed through subsequent explorations and scientific study over time. The Eastern Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) was later recognized as a distinct subspecies found in the mountainous forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Its populations are found in areas such as Kahuzi-Biega and Maiko National Parks.
Further exploration led to the formal recognition of the Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). German explorer Captain Robert von Beringe is credited with this discovery on October 17, 1902, in the Virunga Mountains of East Africa. He collected specimens, and the subspecies was named in his honor. These later discoveries expanded the scientific understanding of gorillas, classifying them into two main species—Western and Eastern gorillas—each with their own subspecies. This ongoing process of unveiling new species and subspecies highlights the continuous nature of scientific exploration.