Desmond John Morris is an English zoologist, ethologist, and surrealist painter, as well as a popular author in human sociobiology. He is most renowned for his 1967 book The Naked Ape and his television programmes such as Zoo Time.

Born in Purton, he lost his father at the age of 14. Morris graduated with an honors degree in zoology from the University of Birmingham in 1951 and received his PhD in animal behavior from the University of Oxford in 1954.

In addition to his scientific achievements, Morris is an artist and has contributed significantly to the British surrealist tradition, holding his first solo exhibition in 1948 and continuing to exhibit regularly since then.

His approach to human behavior from a purely zoological perspective has sparked controversy since his initial publications. Books such as The Human Zoo and The Naked Ape provide a realistic and objective view of the human species, examining human behavior in cities and other contexts from an ethological point of view.

The Naked Ape offers a realistic look at humans, while The Human Contract (1991) is an ecological appeal urging humans to respect their commitment to nature. In his works The Human Body and The Naked Woman, he explores the adornments, modifications, and symbolic meanings that various cultures have attributed to different body parts throughout history.