In The Naked Ape, Desmond Morris provides an alternative explanation of the causative factors underlying
various human behavior patterns and societal and cultural activities. He develops his theme around such
human activities as feeding, grooming, sleeping, fighting, mating and care of the young. He compares
human traits and behaviors with those exhibited by animals, mainly the primates, in like activities. His
point is that understanding the evolutionary source of many behaviors can throw new light on
understanding the complex nature of the human species.
Morris begins by examining the evolution of the mammals, from the earliest insectivores to the latest
carnivores, detailing the survival characteristics which led to the success of some species over others. He
provides great detail on the development of the nearly naked carnivorous 'hunting ape' from the fruit eating
He presents a thorough discussion of sexual behavior, stressing the similarities between human 'rituals' and
primate behaviors. Tracing the three characteristic sexual phases of pair formation, pre-copulatory activity,
and copulation, the evolutionary process which lies at the root of modern human sexual behavior is clearly
Similarly, he examines human child-rearing, and provides interesting insights into non-verbal
communication and body language between mother and child. The role of exploratory behavior in the
basic survival patterns of feeding, fighting, and mating, as well as its importance to an individual's social
Morris analyzes thoroughly our human aggressive urges, as always providing examples of animal
behaviors which serve as an objective base upon which to understand why we act as we do. In addition to
territorial and social dominance aggressive behaviors, he describes the actual mechanics of aggression, both
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