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Zoologist and author Desmond Morris dies aged 98
His book The Naked Ape sold 20 million copies, and his son Jason said Morris kept writing and painting until his death.
- Legendary British zoologist and broadcaster Desmond Morris died at 98 on April 20, 2026. His son Jason confirmed the death, paying tribute to a lifetime of "exploration, curiosity and creativity."
- Morris gained widespread fame hosting Zoo Time from 1956 to 1967, then published The Naked Ape in 1967, which sold 20 million copies and framed humans as fundamentally ape-like.
- During his career, Morris served as curator of mammals at London Zoo. A friend once told him, "You look at people the way a bird-watcher looks at birds."
- Following his wife Ramona's death six years ago, Morris lived in Ireland with his family. Jason described his father as "a great man and an even better father and grandfather."
- Beyond his scientific contributions, Morris remained an active artist and writer until his death. The Naked Ape remains a defining work that challenged human perceptions by framing humanity as fundamentally ape-like.
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British zoologist Desmond Morris has died at the age of 98. As a presenter and writer, he prompted the general public to reflect on the place of humans in the animal kingdom for years, particularly through his 1967 bestseller *The Naked Ape*. In that book, Morris viewed humanity through the eyes of a biologist. He argued that, just as with animals, biological drives lay behind human behavior. To him, making small talk about the weather or discus…
·Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
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ABC FOX Montana+6 Reposted by 6 other sources
Desmond Morris: from 'Naked Ape' to watching 'Big Brother'
Celebrated British zoologist Desmond Morris, who died Sunday aged 98, shook up the world in 1967 when his book "The Naked Ape" posited that humans are essentially primates still captive to evolutionary impulses.
·Missoula, United States
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Total News Sources29
Leaning Left7Leaning Right4Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution39% Left, 39% Center
Bias Distribution
- 39% of the sources lean Left, 39% of the sources are Center
39% Center
L 39%
C 39%
R 22%
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