Editing Desmond Morris (section)

==Early life and education==
Morris was born in [[Purton]], [[Wiltshire]], to Marjorie (née Hunt) and children's fiction author Harry Morris. In 1933, the Morrises moved to [[Swindon]] where Desmond developed an interest in [[natural history]] and writing. He was educated at [[Dauntsey's School]], a boarding school in Wiltshire.<ref name="dmbiography">{{cite web| author=Williams, D.| title=Desmond Morris Biography| url=http://www.desmond-morris.com/biography.php| publisher=Desmond-morris.com| access-date=28 November 2012| archive-date=22 February 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222221221/http://www.desmond-morris.com/biography.php| url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1946, Morris joined the [[British Army]] for two years of [[national service]], becoming a lecturer in [[fine arts]] at the [[Chiseldon|Chiseldon Army College]] in [[Wiltshire]]. After being demobilised in 1948, he held his first one-man show of his own paintings at the [[Swindon Arts Centre]], and studied [[zoology]] at the [[University of Birmingham]]. In 1950 he held a surrealist art exhibition with [[Joan Miró]] at the London Gallery. He held many other exhibitions in later years.<ref name="dmbiography"/> Also in 1950, Desmond Morris wrote and directed two surrealist films, ''Time Flower'' and ''The Butterfly and the Pin''.<ref name="Howlett">{{cite web |last1=Howlett |first1=Andy |title=A lost film took Brum's surrealist past with it. Could it be found? |url=https://www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/lost-birmingham-surrealist-film-desmond-morris/ |website=The Dispatch |access-date=4 May 2025 |date=3 May 2025}}</ref> In 1951 he began a doctorate at the [[Department of Zoology, University of Oxford]], in [[animal behaviour]].<ref name="dmbiography"/> In 1954, he earned a [[Doctor of Philosophy]] for his work on the reproductive behaviour of the [[ten-spined stickleback]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/sep/24/the-naked-ape-at-50-desmond-morris-four-experts-assess-impact|title=The Naked Ape at 50|last=Dunbar|first=Robin|date=24 September 2017|website=The Guardian|access-date=19 July 2019|archive-date=2 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102084748/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/sep/24/the-naked-ape-at-50-desmond-morris-four-experts-assess-impact|url-status=live}}</ref>