Clinton Richard Dawkins ( born Nairobi , 26 March 1941 ) is a British ethologist , evolutionary biologist and writer who held the post of Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford . Clinton Richard Dawkins , FRS , FRSL ( born 26 March 1941 ) is a British ethologist and evolutionary biologist . He is an emeritus fellow of New College , Oxford , and was the University of Oxford 's Professor for Public Understanding of Science from 1995 until 2008 .