Elaine Morgan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elaine Morgan
OBE FRSL
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Elaine Morgan in 1998
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| Born | 7 November 1920 Hopkinstown, near Pontypridd, in Wales
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| Died | 12 July 2013 (aged 92) Mountain Ash, near Aberdare, Wales
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford |
| Spouse(s) | Morien Morgan (died 1997) |
| Children | 3 sons, including Dylan Morgan |
Elaine Morgan was a talented Welsh writer and author. She was known for her television scripts and her books about human evolution. She suggested a different idea about how humans evolved, called the aquatic ape hypothesis. This idea focused more on the role of women in human history.
Her book, The Descent of Woman, published in 1972, became a huge success around the world. It was translated into ten different languages! In 2016, she was even named one of the "50 greatest Welsh men and women of all time."
Contents
Elaine Morgan's Life
Elaine Floyd was born in a place called Hopkinstown, near Pontypridd, in Wales. Her father worked as a coal miner. She later lived for many years in Mountain Ash, near Aberdare, until she passed away.
She went to Lady Margaret Hall at Oxford University and earned a degree in English. She married Morien Morgan, who had been a soldier in the Spanish Civil War. They had three sons together.
Elaine Morgan's Writing Career
Elaine Morgan started writing in the 1950s after she won a writing competition. She then began working with the BBC, where they produced her plays for television.
She wrote many popular TV shows, newspaper articles, and several books about how humans evolved. Her first book, The Descent of Woman, was published in 1972 and became a worldwide bestseller.
She wrote more books that explored her ideas about human evolution in detail. These included The Aquatic Ape (1982), The Scars of Evolution (1990), and The Descent of the Child (1994).
Elaine Morgan also wrote for many famous television series. Some of these were How Green Was My Valley (1975), Off to Philadelphia in the Morning (1978), and Testament of Youth (1979). She also contributed to shows like Dr. Finlay's Casebook and Campion.
She won several important awards for her writing, including two BAFTAs and two Writers' Guild awards. She also won the Prix Italia in 1975 for a documentary script.
In 2003, she started writing a weekly column for a Welsh newspaper called The Western Mail. This column won her the Columnist of the Year award in 2011.
Elaine Morgan received special honors for her work. She was given an honorary doctorate from Glamorgan University in 2006. She was also made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2009 for her contributions to literature and education.
The Aquatic Ape Idea
Elaine Morgan was a strong supporter of the aquatic ape hypothesis. This idea suggests that human evolution included a time when our ancestors lived partly in water. This "aquatic phase" might have happened millions of years ago.
It's important to know that most scientists and anthropologists do not agree with the aquatic ape hypothesis. They see it as a pseudoscience, which means it's not based on scientific evidence. However, Elaine Morgan's books, especially Descent of Woman, made the idea very popular with the general public.
Even though many scientists didn't accept her theory, some respected thinkers found her work interesting. For example, the philosopher Daniel Dennett said that many arguments against her idea seemed weak. He mentioned that when he asked experts why Morgan was wrong, he didn't get good answers.
Also, the South African anthropologist Phillip V. Tobias encouraged scientists to look at her ideas openly. He said that honest scientists should examine the evidence without ignoring it.
In 2000, Elaine Morgan received the Letten F Saugstad prize for her "contribution to scientific knowledge." In 2008, she became a Fellow of the Linnean Society, just like famous scientists Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.
Later Life and Legacy
Elaine Morgan passed away on July 12, 2013, at the age of 92. A Welsh author named Trevor Fishlock said that she was a writer who truly captured the spirit of Wales in her work.
In 2019, Elaine Morgan was one of five women considered for a statue in Cardiff. In 2020, to celebrate 100 years since her birth, two books were published about her life.
On March 18, 2022, a statue of Elaine Morgan was put up outside a medical center in Mountain Ash, Wales. This was part of a project to honor important Welsh women.
The author Bruce Lindsay mentioned that the Scottish poet Ivor Cutler dedicated one of his poetry books to Elaine Morgan. He thanked her for changing his understanding of people.
Elaine Morgan's Books
Here are some of the books Elaine Morgan wrote about human evolution:
- The Descent of Woman, 1972, Souvenir Press, ISBN: 0-285-62063-0
- The Aquatic 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 Evolution from a New Perspective, 1995, Oxford 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 notable works:
- Falling Apart: The Rise and Decline of Urban Civilisation, 1976, Souvenir 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
Biographies About Elaine Morgan
- Entry on Elaine Neville Morgan in The Dictionary of Welsh Biography (National Museum of Wales)
