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Marian Dawkins (born 13 February 1945) is a British biologist and professor of ethology at the University of Oxford. Previously married to evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, her research has focused on animal behaviour and animal welfare. She is sceptical as to whether science can establish that animals have consciousness, and therefore its role in the definition and measurement of animal welfare and suffering. Instead, her view is that good animal welfare depends on determining the needs and wants of the animals; she studied the activities and interactions of hens and deduced that the availability of floor-space in traditional battery cages deprived the birds of their ability to participate in their natural behaviours.
This photograph of Dawkins was taken at the Royal Society's admissions day in 2014, when she was admitted as a fellow of the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.Photograph credit: Royal Society; edited by Chris Woodrich