Elaine Morgan OBE, FRSL (7 November 1920 – 12 July 2013),[1] was a Welsh writer for television and the author of several books on evolutionary anthropology.

The book drew attention to what she saw as sexism inherent in the prevalent savannah-based "killer ape" theories of human evolution as presented in popular anthropological works by Robert Ardrey, Lionel Tiger and others.

Morgan wrote for many television series, including the adaptations of How Green Was My Valley (1975), Off to Philadelphia in the Morning (1978) and Testament of Youth (1979).

Her other work included episodes of Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1963–1970), the biographical drama The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (1981) and contributions to the Campion (1989) series.

[16] Although Morgan's aquatic ape hypothesis has been debunked by the anthropology and scientific community, and is classified as a pseudoscience,[17][18][19][20] it has achieved popular appeal since the publication of Descent of Woman in 1972.

During the last few years when I have found myself in the company of distinguished biologists, evolutionary theorists, paleo-anthropologists, and other experts, I have often asked them just to tell me, please, exactly why Morgan must be wrong about the aquatic ape theory.

[23]And in a BBC/Discovery Channel Documentary, the South African anthropologist Phillip V. Tobias said: I see Elaine Morgan, through her series of superbly written books, presenting a challenge to the scientists to take an interest in this thing, to look at the evidence dispassionately.

[24]In 2000 Morgan was awarded the Letten F Saugstad prize in Oslo for her "contribution to scientific knowledge" and in December 2008 she was admitted as a Fellow of the Linnean Society, following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.

[25] On 18 March 2022 a statue of her by Emma Rodgers was installed outside the Tŷ Calon Lân Medical Centre in Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf, as part of the Monumental Welsh Women project.