Without a strong spatial intelligence, Jane would never have been able to navigate around the trailless forest at Gombe. There were no maps, and her guides often did not show up so she had to trek on her own. If she had not had a good sense of direction, she would have had trouble tracking and observing the chimps.

Another aspect of spatial intelligence is the ability to recognize faces. Jane has a neurological condition called prosopagnosia, which means she has difficulty recognizing faces, especially if a person changes a hairstyle or wears a hat. Jane was able to succeed in her research because, unlike people, chimpanzees change only gradually over time, so she was able to recognize them.