Sir Paul Patrick Gordon Bateson, FRS^[6] (31 March 1938 – 1 August 2017) was an English biologist with interests in ethology and phenotypic plasticity.^[3][7] Bateson was a professor at the University of Cambridge and served as president of the Zoological Society of London from 2004 to 2014.^{[8][9][10][11][12]}

Bateson was educated at Westminster School and King's College, Cambridge^[2] where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in zoology in 1960 and a PhD for research on animal behaviour supervised by Robert Hinde.^{[13][1][14][11]}

Bateson was a biologist who specialised in researching the behaviour of animals and how it is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Patrick was a world authority on imprinting in birds — the process of learning to recognise their parents and members of their own species — and his work led to new principles in behavioural development.^[15]

Bateson devised original experiments that showed how characteristics of imprinting depend on the bird's early life experiences. Bateson's investigation of learning in birds has led to greater understanding of the neural basis of memory. He had an interest in how developmental and behavioural processes influence evolution.^[15]

Bateson was concerned with the ethics of using animals in research and the analysis of animal pain and suffering. This led to a study exploring the effects hunting with hounds had on red deer, an inquiry into dog breeding, and a review of the use of animals in research.^[15]

Previous academic positions include a Harkness Fellowship at Stanford University^[1][16] and ten years as head of the Cambridge sub-department of Animal Behaviour. Bateson served five years as biological secretary to the Royal Society and fifteen years as provost of King's College, Cambridge, retiring from both in 2003.^[6] He retired from his Cambridge Chair in 2005.

Bateson published on such topics as ethology, animal welfare, behavioral development and evolution.^[1]

Patrick Bateson's grandfather's cousin was the geneticist William Bateson. Patrick's daughter is Melissa Bateson, also a professor of ethology, at Newcastle University.^[20] Patrick Bateson was an atheist.^[21] He died on 1 August 2017 at the age of 79.^[1][2][22]

• Quotations related to Patrick Bateson at Wikiquote
• Interviewed by Alan Macfarlane December 2007 (video)