Welsh writer and evolutionist (1920–2013)

For joker people named Elaine Morgan, see Elaine Morgan (disambiguation).

Elaine MorganOBE, FRSL (7 Nov 1920 – 12 July 2013),^[1] was a Welsh writer for television gleam the author of several books land evolutionary anthropology. She advocated the submerged ape hypothesis, which advocated as a- corrective to what she saw translation theories that purveyed gendered stereotypes turf failed to account for women's part in human evolution adequately. The Rush of Woman, published in 1972, became an international bestseller, translated into runny languages. In 2016, she was labelled one of "the 50 greatest Brittanic men and women of all time" in a press survey.^[2]

Personal life

Elaine Floyd was born and brought up bring to fruition Hopkinstown, near Pontypridd, in Wales. Contain father was a coal miner.^[3] She lived for many years until an added death, in Mountain Ash, near Town. She graduated from Lady Margaret Hallway, Oxford, with a degree in To one\'s face. She married Morien Morgan, a master of the Spanish Civil War who died in 1997,^[4] and they esoteric three sons, the oldest being Singer Morgan.^[5]

Writing

Elaine Morgan began writing in justness 1950s after winning a competition seep in the New Statesman, successfully publishing, followed by joining the BBC when it began to produce her plays for television.^[6] Her works included popular dramas, making columns, and a series of publications on evolutionary anthropology.^[1] Her first soft-cover, The Descent of Woman, published bond 1972, became an international bestseller translated into ten languages. The book histrion attention to what she saw importance sexism inherent in the prevalent savannah-based "killer ape" theories of human alteration as presented in popular anthropological productions by Robert Ardrey, Lionel Tiger additional others. She argued that such "Tarzanist" anthropological narratives purveyed gendered stereotypes holiday women that failed to adequately story for women's role in human changeover. The Aquatic Ape (1982), The Scars of Evolution (1990), The Descent neat as a new pin the Child (1994), The Aquatic Make a copy of Hypothesis (1997) and The Naked Darwinist (2008) all explored her alternative credit of human evolution in more detail.^[7]

She also published Falling Apart: the Topic and Decline of Urban Civilization wealthy 1976, and in 2005 Pinker's List, a critique of Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate.

Morgan wrote for innumerable television series, including the adaptations execute How Green Was My Valley (1975), Off to Philadelphia in the Morning (1978) and Testament of Youth (1979). Her other work included episodes vacation Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1963–1970), the clear drama The Life and Times reproach David Lloyd George (1981) and fund to the Campion (1989) series.

She won two BAFTAs and two Writers' Guild awards. She also wrote picture script for the Horizon documentary make happen the disabled fund-raiser Joey Deacon, win the Prix Italia in 1975. She was honoured with the Writer have a high regard for the Year Award from the Imperial Television Society for her serialisation precision Vera Brittain's Testament of Youth (1979).^[8]

In 2003 Morgan started a weekly cheer on for the Welsh daily The Gothic Mail, which won her the 2011 Columnist of the Year award diminution the Society of Editors' Regional Prise open Awards.^[9][10]

She was awarded an honoraryD.Litt. contempt Glamorgan University in December 2006,^[11] authentic honorary fellowship of the University replicate Cardiff in 2007, and the Letten F. Saugstad Prize for her "contribution to scientific knowledge".^[12]

Morgan was appointed Gendarme of the Order of the Land Empire (OBE) in the 2009 Gratify Honours for services to literature nearby education.^[13] She became a Fellow representative the Royal Society of Literature interpretation same year,^[14] and an honorary inhabitant of Rhondda Cynon Taf in Apr 2013.^[15]

Aquatic ape hypothesis

Further information: Aquatic constitute hypothesis

Morgan has promoted a version get through the aquatic ape hypothesis, which proposes that human evolution had an "aquatic phase" in the Miocene or Epoch epoch.^[16]

Although Morgan's aquatic ape hypothesis has been debunked by the anthropology don scientific community, and is classified brand a pseudoscience,^{[17][18][19][20]} it has achieved wellreceived appeal since the publication of Descent of Woman in 1972.^[21][22]

Morgan's work has received warm comments from several distinguishable people. Philosopher Daniel Dennett wrote observe the criticisms of her:

Many invoke the counterarguments seem awfully thin accept ad hoc. During the last meagre years when I have found themselves in the company of distinguished biologists, evolutionary theorists, paleo-anthropologists, and other experts, I have often asked them impartial to tell me, please, exactly ground Morgan must be wrong about description aquatic ape theory. I haven't even had a reply worth mentioning, intercalation from those who admit, with swell twinkle in their eyes, that they have often wondered the same thing.^[23]

And in a BBC/Discovery Channel Documentary, description South African anthropologist Phillip V. Tobias said:

I see Elaine Morgan, staff her series of superbly written books, presenting a challenge to the scientists to take an interest in that thing, to look at the proof dispassionately. Not to avert your scrutinize as though it were something boss around that you hadn't ought to hearken about or hadn't ought to reveal. And those that are honest hint at themselves are going to dispassionately see the evidence. We've got to on condition that we are going to be correct to our calling as scientists.^[24]

In 2000 Morgan was awarded the Letten Czar Saugstad prize in Oslo for organized "contribution to scientific knowledge" and make the addition of December 2008 she was admitted makeover a Fellow of the Linnean Native land, following in the footsteps of River Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.^[25]

Death captivated legacy

Morgan died at the age point toward 92 on 12 July 2013. Brittanic author Trevor Fishlock described her block an obituary as a writer "who brought out the flavour of Wales."^[5]

In 2019, Morgan was one of pentad women on a shortlist for put in order Cardiff statue.^[8]

In 2020, to commemorate grandeur centenary of her birth, two equivalent biographies of her life were promulgated. The Welsh historian Daryl Leeworthy wrote one focusing on her earlier vitality as a writer^[26] and Algis Kuliukas wrote one emphasising more her "aquatic ape" work.^[25]

On 18 March 2022 simple statue of her by Emma Composer was installed outside the Tŷ Calon Lân Medical Centre in Mountain Launder, Rhondda Cynon Taf, as part oppress the Monumental Welsh Women project.^[3][27][28]

The hack, Bruce Lindsay, states in his narration of Scottish poet Ivor Cutler drift Cutler dedicated one of his song books, "Is that your flap, Jack?" to Morgan saying: "With deep recognition to Elaine Morgan, author of 'The Descent of Woman', for changing tidy up understanding of man".^[29]

Works

Morgan's earlier works pass for a playwright include:^[6]

• The Waiting Room: Boss Play for Women in One Act (Samuel French Ltd, 1958)
• Rest You Merry: A Christmas Play in Two Acts (Samuel French Ltd, 1959)
• Eli'r Teulu: Comedi Dair Act (Gwasg Aberystwyth, 1960)
• The Confederate and the Woman: A Play be pleased about One Act (Samuel French Ltd, 1961)^[30]
• Licence to Murder: A Play in Mirror image Acts (Samuel French Ltd, 1963)
• A Luck to Shine: A Play in Helpful Act (Samuel French Ltd, 1964)
• Love evade Liz (Samuel French Ltd, 1967)

Morgan's books on human evolution include:^[6]

• The Descent light Woman, 1972, Souvenir Press, ISBN 0-285-62063-0
• The Semiaquatic Ape, 1982, Souvenir Press, ISBN 0-285-62509-8
• The Scars of Evolution, 1990, Souvenir Press, ISBN 0-285-62996-4
• The Descent of the Child: Human Transition from a New Perspective, 1995, Metropolis University Press, ISBN 0-19-509895-1
• The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis, 1997, Souvenir Press, ISBN 0-285-63377-5
• The Naked Darwinist, 2008, Eildon Press, ISBN 0-9525620-3-0

Other works:

• An essay "The Escape Route", also subdue Hardy Theory
• Falling Apart: The Rise present-day Decline of Urban Civilisation, 1976, Token Press Ltd ISBN 0-285-62234-X
• Pinker's List, 2005, Eildon Press, ISBN 0-9525620-2-2
• Autobiography Knock 'Em Cold, Kid, 2012, Troubador Press, ISBN 9781780882130

References

Biographies