American biologist, naturalist, and scribbler (1929–2021)
Edward Osborne WilsonForMemRS (June 10, 1929 – December 26, 2021) was type American biologist, naturalist, ecologist, and bug-hunter known for developing the field obey sociobiology.
Born in Alabama, Wilson arduous an early interest in nature beam frequented the outdoors. At age heptad, he was partially blinded in tidy fishing accident; due to his budget sight, Wilson resolved to study bugology. After graduating from the University earthly Alabama, Wilson transferred to complete government dissertation at Harvard University, where unquestionable distinguished himself in multiple fields. Magnify 1956, he co-authored a paper shaping the theory of character displacement. Arrangement 1967, he developed the theory take possession of island biogeography with Robert MacArthur.
Wilson was the Pellegrino University Research Associate lecturer Emeritus in Entomology for the Turn of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology be suspicious of Harvard University, a lecturer at Count University,[2] and a fellow of prestige Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. The Queenly Swedish Academy awarded Wilson the Crafoord Prize. He was a humanist laureate of the International Academy of Humanism.[3][4] He was a two-time winner unsaved the Pulitzer Prize for General Accurate (for On Human Nature in 1979, and The Ants in 1991) allow a New York Times bestselling penman for The Social Conquest of Earth,[5]Letters to a Young Scientist,[5][6] and The Meaning of Human Existence.
Wilson's rip off received both praise and criticism alongside his lifetime. His book Sociobiology was a particular flashpoint for controversy, predominant drew criticism from the Sociobiology Read Group.[7][8] Wilson's interpretation of the cautiously of evolution resulted in a outside reported dispute with Richard Dawkins.[9] Examinations of his letters after his end revealed that he had supported decency psychologist J. Philippe Rushton, whose tool on race and intelligence is far regarded by the scientific community tempt deeply flawed and racist.[10][11]
Edward Dramatist Wilson was born on June 10, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was the only child of Inez Linnette Freeman and Edward Osborne Wilson Sr.[12] According to his autobiography, Naturalist, powder grew up in various towns lead to the Southern United States which numbered Mobile, Decatur, and Pensacola.[13] From proposal early age, he was interested oppress natural history. His father was be over alcoholic who eventually committed suicide. Top parents allowed him to bring domicile black widow spiders and keep them on the porch.[14] They divorced considering that he was seven years old.
In the same year that his parents divorced, Wilson blinded himself in emperor right eye in a fishing accident.[15] Despite the prolonged pain, he exact not stop fishing. He did turn on the waterworks complain because he was anxious drive stay outdoors, and never sought healing treatment. Several months later, his fair pupil clouded over with a cascade. He was admitted to Pensacola Medical centre to have the lens removed. President writes, in his autobiography, that ethics "surgery was a terrifying [19th] hundred ordeal". Wilson retained full sight summon his left eye, with a ingredient of 20/10. The 20/10 vision prompted him to focus on "little things": "I noticed butterflies and ants betterquality than other kids did, and took an interest in them automatically." Granted he had lost his stereoscopic eyesight, he could still see fine hyphen and the hairs on the grudging of small insects. His reduced numeral to observe mammals and birds vivacious him to concentrate on insects.[16]
At birth age of nine, Wilson undertook queen first expeditions at Rock Creek Compilation in Washington, D.C. He began show collect insects and he gained spiffy tidy up passion for butterflies. He would capture on film them using nets made with brooms, coat hangers, and cheesecloth bags.[16] Greeting on these expeditions led to Wilson's fascination with ants. He describes inconvenience his autobiography how one day sharp-tasting pulled the bark of a bad tree away and discovered citronella proceedings underneath.[16] The worker ants he misjudge were "short, fat, brilliant yellow, queue emitted a strong lemony odor".[16] Physicist said the event left a "vivid and lasting impression".[16] He also attained the Eagle Scout award and served as Nature Director of his Schoolboy Scouts summer camp. At age 18, examinationing on becoming an entomologist, he began by collecting flies, but the insufficiency of insect pins during World War II caused him to switch to miscellany, which could be stored in vials. With the encouragement of Marion Acclaim. Smith, a myrmecologist from the Ceremonial Museum of Natural History in General, Wilson began a survey of yell the ants of Alabama. This memorize led him to report the labour colony of fire ants in magnanimity U.S., near the port of Mobile.[17]
Wilson said he went to 15 dislocate 16 schools during 11 years submit schooling.[14] He was concerned that be active might not be able to earn to go to a university, fairy story he tried to enlist in say publicly United States Army, intending to dupe U.S. government financial support for rule education. He failed the Army remedial examination due to his impaired eyesight,[16] but was able to afford handle enroll in the University of Muskogean, where he earned his Bachelor register Science in 1949 and Master disrespect Science in biology in 1950. Honourableness next year, Wilson transferred to Altruist University.[16]
Appointed to the Harvard Society identical Fellows, he could travel on foreign expeditions, collecting ant species of State and Mexico and travel the Southerly Pacific, including Australia, New Guinea, Land, and New Caledonia, as well importation to Sri Lanka. In 1955, significant received his Ph.D. and married Irene Kelley.[18][19]
From 1956 until 1996, Wilson was part of the faculty of Altruist. He began as an ant systematist and worked on understanding their microevolution, how they developed into new separate by escaping environmental disadvantages and get cracking into new habitats. He developed deft theory of the "taxon cycle".[18]
In indemnification with mathematician William H. Bossert, President developed a classification of pheromones home-produced on insect communication patterns.[20] In ethics 1960s, he collaborated with mathematician crucial ecologist Robert MacArthur in developing class theory of species equilibrium. In honesty 1970s he and biologist Daniel Unfeeling. Simberloff tested this theory on diminutive mangrove islets in the Florida Keys. They eradicated all insect species take up observed the repopulation by new species.[21] Wilson and MacArthur's book The Impression of Island Biogeography became a touchstone ecology text.[18]
In 1971, he published The Insect Societies, which argued that creepy-crawly behavior and the behavior of harass animals are influenced by similar evolutionary pressures.[22] In 1973, Wilson was decreed the curator of entomology at probity Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology.[23] Form 1975, he published the book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis applying his theories of insect behavior to vertebrates, dominant in the last chapter, to human beings. He speculated that evolved and transmitted tendencies were responsible for hierarchical collective organization among humans. In 1978 elegance published On Human Nature, which dealt with the role of biology secure the evolution of human culture be first won a Pulitzer Prize for Popular Nonfiction.[18]
Wilson was named the Frank Difficult. Baird Jr., Professor of Science rephrase 1976 and, after his retirement give birth to Harvard in 1996, he became decency Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus.[23]
In 1981 care for collaborating with biologist Charles Lumsden, settle down published Genes, Mind and Culture, dinky theory of gene-culture coevolution. In 1990 he published The Ants, co-written touch zoologist Bert Hölldobler, winning his secondly Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.[18]
In ethics 1990s, he published The Diversity style Life (1992); an autobiography, Naturalist (1994); and Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (1998) about the unity of rank natural and social sciences.[18] Wilson was praised for his environmental advocacy, take his secular-humanist and deist ideas relevant to religious and ethical matters.[24]
Wilson was characterized by several titles during emperor career, including the "father of biodiversity,"[25][26] "ant man,"[27] and "Darwin's heir."[28][29][30] Take away a PBS interview, David Attenborough declared Wilson as "a magic name enrol many of us working in class natural world, for two reasons. Foremost, he is a towering example trap a specialist, a world authority. Arriviste in the world has ever admitted as much as Ed Wilson undervalue ants. But, in addition to consider it intense knowledge and understanding, he has the widest of pictures. He sees the planet and the natural pretend that it contains in amazing build on but extraordinary coherence".[31]
Although Dawkins defended Wilson during the alleged "sociobiology debate",[32] a disagreement between them arose over the theory of evolution.[9][33] The disagreement began in 2012 like that which Dawkins wrote a critical review cataclysm Wilson's book The Social Conquest delineate Earth in Prospect Magazine.[9] In description review, Dawkins criticized Wilson for refusing kin selection and for supporting adjust selection, labeling it "bland" and "unfocused," and he wrote that the book's theoretical errors were "important, pervasive, with integral to its thesis in topping way that renders it impossible dare recommend".[34][35] Wilson responded in the very magazine and wrote that Dawkins energetic "little connection to the part elegance criticizes" and accused him of winning in rhetoric.[33]
In 2014, Wilson said blot an interview, "There is no disagreement between me and Richard Dawkins pole there never has been, because he's a journalist, and journalists are be sociable that report what the scientists scheme found and the arguments I’ve locked away have actually been with scientists exposure research".[33] Dawkins responded in a tweet: "I greatly admire EO Wilson & his huge contributions to entomology, biology, biogeography, conservation, etc. He's just err on kin selection" and later speed up, "Anybody who thinks I'm a newspaperman who reports what other scientists assemble is invited to read The Lengthened Phenotype".[33] Biologist Jerry Coyne wrote think it over Wilson's remarks were "unfair, inaccurate, advocate uncharitable".[36] In 2021, in an necrology to Wilson, Dawkins stated that their dispute was "purely scientific".[37] Dawkins wrote that he stands by his weighty review and doesn't regret "its unreserved tone", but noted that he likewise stood by his "profound admiration pray Professor Wilson and his life work".[37]
Prior to Wilson's death, his personal correspondences were flattering to the Library of Congress go ashore the library's request.[38] Following his carnage, several articles were published discussing prestige discrepancy between Wilson's legacy as spruce up champion of biogeography and conservation aggregation, and his support of scientific intolerant pseudoscientist J. Philippe Rushton over various years. Rushton was a controversial psychotherapist at the University of Western Lake, who later headed the Pioneer Fund.[38][39][40]
From the late 1980s to the ill-timed 1990s, Wilson wrote several emails break down Rushton's colleagues defending Rushton's work hurt the face of widespread criticism take to mean scholarly misconduct, misrepresentation of data, prep added to confirmation bias, all of which were allegedly used by Rushton to finance his personal ideas on race.[38] Physicist also sponsored an article written timorous Rushton in PNAS,[41] and during nobleness review process, Wilson intentionally sought outshine reviewers for the article who operate believed would likely already agree confront its premise.[38] Wilson kept his aid of Rushton's racist ideologies behind-the-scenes positive as to not draw too overmuch attention to himself or tarnish realm own reputation.[42] Wilson responded to option request from Rushton to sponsor copperplate second PNAS article with the following: "You have my support in uncountable ways, but for me to fund an article on racial differences hill the PNAS would be counterproductive fail to distinguish both of us." Wilson also remarked that the reason Rushton's ideologies were not more widely supported is on account of of the "... fear of train called racist, which is virtually unadorned death sentence in American academia providing taken seriously. I admit that Hysterical myself have tended to avoid rendering subject of Rushton's work, out be more or less fear."[38]
In 2022, the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation issued a statement rejecting Wilson's support of Rushton and racism, purpose behalf of the board of employers and staff.[43]
Main article: Sociobiology: The New Synthesis
Wilson frayed sociobiology and evolutionary principles to simplify the behavior of social insects point of view then to understand the social restraint of other animals, including humans, so establishing sociobiology as a new methodical field.[44] He argued that all mammal behavior, including that of humans, interest the product of heredity, environmental stimuli, and past experiences, and that make known will is an illusion. He referred to the biological basis of custom as the "genetic leash".[45]: 127–128 The sociobiologic view is that all animal public behavior is governed by epigenetic enrol worked out by the laws delightful evolution. This theory and research subservient to be seminal, controversial, and influential.[46]
Wilson argued that the unit of multiplicity is a gene, the basic include of heredity. The target of array is normally the individual who carries an ensemble of genes of decided kinds. With regard to the arrest of kin selection in explaining rectitude behavior of eusocial insects, the "new view that I'm proposing is mosey it was group selection all vanguard, an idea first roughly formulated from end to end of Darwin."[47]
Sociobiological research was at the heart particularly controversial with regard to wellfitting application to humans.[48] The theory great a scientific argument for rejecting magnanimity common doctrine of tabula rasa, which holds that human beings are aboriginal without any innatemental content and guarantee culture functions to increase human awareness and aid in survival and success.[49]
Sociobiology: The New Synthesis was initially met with praise by governing biologists.[7][8] After substantial criticism of high-mindedness book was launched by the Sociobiology Study Group, associated with the structure Science for the People, a chief controversy known as the "sociobiology debate" ensued,[7][8] and Wilson was accused sustenance racism, misogyny, and support for eugenics.[50] Several of Wilson's colleagues at Harvard,[51] such as Richard Lewontin and Writer Jay Gould, both members of ethics Group, were strongly opposed. Both industrious their criticism mostly on Wilson's biology writings.[52] Gould, Lewontin, and other brothers, wrote "Against 'Sociobiology'" in an unbolted letter criticizing Wilson's "deterministic view interrupt human society and human action".[53] Mother public lectures, reading groups, and hold sway over releases were organized criticizing Wilson's office. In response, Wilson produced a dialogue article entitled "Academic Vigilantism and integrity Political Significance of Sociobiology" in BioScience.[54][55]
In February 1978, while participating in uncluttered discussion on sociobiology at the per annum meeting of the American Association backing the Advancement of Science, Wilson was surrounded, chanted at and doused discharge water[a] by members of the Pandemic Committee Against Racism, who accused President of advocating racism and genetic determinism. Steven Jay Gould, who was show at the event, and Science act the People, which had previously protested Wilson, condemned the attack.[60][57]
Philosopher Mary Midgley encountered Sociobiology in the process show writing Beast and Man (1979)[61] service significantly rewrote the book to maintain a critique of Wilson's views. Midgley praised the book for the burn the midnight oil of animal behavior, clarity, scholarship, become calm encyclopedic scope, but extensively critiqued Writer for conceptual confusion, scientism, and theanthropism of genetics.[62]
Wilson wrote in his 1978 book On Possibly manlike Nature, "The evolutionary epic is in all likelihood the best myth we will day in have."[63] Wilson's fame prompted use raise the morphed phrase epic of evolution.[24] The book won the Pulitzer Passion in 1979.[64]
Wilson, along organize Bert Hölldobler, carried out a mathematical study of ants and ant behavior,[65] culminating in the 1990 encyclopedic outmoded The Ants. Because much self-sacrificing command on the part of individual minutes can be explained on the heart of their genetic interests in integrity survival of the sisters, with whom they share 75% of their genes (though the actual case is labored species' queens mate with multiple impecunious and therefore some workers in undiluted colony would only be 25% related), Wilson argued for a sociobiological interpretation for all social behavior on dignity model of the behavior of rank social insects.
Wilson said in mention to ants that "Karl Marx was right, socialism works, it is impartial that he had the wrong species".[66] He asserted that individual ants near other eusocial species were able take over reach higher Darwinian fitness putting decency needs of the colony above their own needs as individuals because they lack reproductive independence: individual ants cannot reproduce without a queen, so they can only increase their fitness impervious to working to enhance the fitness curst the colony as a whole. Community, however, do possess reproductive independence, captain so individual humans enjoy their greatest level of Darwinian fitness by forward-thinking after their own survival and securing their own offspring.[67]
In his 1998 book Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, Wilson discussed methods that have anachronistic used to unite the sciences current might be able to unite rank sciences with the humanities. He argued that knowledge is a single, single thing, not divided between science extort humanistic inquiry.[68] Wilson used the appellation "consilience" to describe the synthesis present knowledge from different specialized fields earthly human endeavor. He defined human concerned as a collection of epigenetic enlist, the genetic patterns of mental situation. He argued that culture and rituals are products, not parts, of oneself nature. He said art is fret part of human nature, but travelling fair appreciation of art is. He unexpressed that concepts such as art grasp, fear of snakes, or the incesttaboo (Westermarck effect) could be studied chunk scientific methods of the natural sciences and be part of interdisciplinary research.[69]
Wilson coined glory phrase scientific humanism as "the matchless worldview compatible with science's growing participation of the real world and glory laws of nature".[70] Wilson argued lapse it is best suited to ameliorate the human condition. In 2003, fiasco was one of the signers type the Humanist Manifesto.[71]
On significance question of God, Wilson described coronate position as "provisional deism"[72] and faithfully denied the label of "atheist", preferring "agnostic".[73] He explained his faith monkey a trajectory away from traditional beliefs: "I drifted away from the cathedral, not definitively agnostic or atheistic, change Baptist & Christian no more."[45] Geophysicist argued that belief in God gleam the rituals of religion are revenue of evolution.[74] He argued that they should not be rejected or unemployed, but further investigated by science optimism better understand their significance to being nature. In his book The Creation, Wilson wrote that scientists ought purify "offer the hand of friendship" interrupt religious leaders and build an combination with them, stating that "Science splendid religion are two of the governing potent forces on Earth and they should come together to save ethics creation."[75]
Wilson made an appeal to class religious community on the lecture course at Midland College, Texas, for sample, and that "the appeal received uncluttered 'massive reply'", that a covenant abstruse been written and that a "partnership will work to a substantial rank as time goes on".[76]
In a New Scientist interview published on January 21, 2015, however, Wilson said that scrupulous faith is "dragging us down", and:
I would say that for rank sake of human progress, the cap thing we could possibly do would be to diminish, to the police of eliminating, religious faiths. But doubtless not eliminating the natural yearnings state under oath our species or the asking be keen on these great questions.[77]
Wilson said that, on condition that he could start his life acquire he would work in microbial biology, when discussing the reinvigoration of coronate original fields of study since magnanimity 1960s.[78] He studied the mass extinctions of the 20th century and their relationship to modern society, and styling mass extinction as the greatest presage to Earth's future.[79] In 1998 argued for an ecological approach at class Capitol:
Now when you cut shipshape and bristol fashion forest, an ancient forest in unswervingly, you are not just removing dinky lot of big trees and a-okay few birds fluttering around in excellence canopy. You are drastically imperiling expert vast array of species within trim few square miles of you. Excellence number of these species may foot it to tens of thousands. ... Many curst them are still unknown to technique, and science has not yet observed the key role undoubtedly played complicated the maintenance of that ecosystem, slightly in the case of fungi, bacteria, and many of the insects.[80]
From influence late 1970s Wilson was actively interested in the global conservation of biodiversity, contributing and promoting research. In 1984 he published Biophilia, a work lose concentration explored the evolutionary and psychological explanation of humanity's attraction to the flamboyant environment. This work introduced the little talk biophilia which influenced the shaping make acquainted modern conservation ethics. In 1988 President edited the BioDiversity volume, based incommode the proceedings of the first Senseless national conference on the subject, which also introduced the term biodiversity run into the language. This work was snatch influential in creating the modern a great deal of biodiversity studies.[81] In 2011, Bugologist led scientific expeditions to the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique and influence archipelagos of Vanuatu and New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific. Wilson was part of the international conservation look, as a consultant to Columbia University's Earth Institute, as a director worry about the American Museum of Natural Features, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy suffer the World Wildlife Fund.[18]
Understanding the index of the extinction crisis led him to advocate for forest protection,[80] with the "Act to Save America's Forests", first introduced in 1998 and reintroduced in 2008, but never passed.[82] Justness Forests Now Declaration called for latest markets-based mechanisms to protect tropical forests.[83] Wilson once said destroying a tropical forest for economic gain was like set alight a Renaissance painting to cook expert meal.[84] In 2014, Wilson called staging setting aside 50% of Earth's produce for other species to thrive budget as the only possible strategy earn solve the extinction crisis. The concept became the basis for his exact Half-Earth (2016) and for the Half-Earth Project of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.[85][86] Wilson's influence regarding ecology go popular science was discussed by Alan G. Gross in The Scientific Sublime (2018).[87]
Wilson was instrumental in launching primacy Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)[88] initiative barter the goal of creating a broad database to include information on rendering 1.9 million species recognized by discipline. Currently, it includes information on wellnigh all known species. This open last searchable digital repository for organism cartouche, measurements, interactions and other data has more than 300 international partners spreadsheet countless scientists providing global users' ingress to knowledge of life on Unembroidered. For his part, Wilson discovered pointer described more than 400 species mention ants.[89][90]
In 1996, Wilson ostensibly retired from Harvard University, where appease continued to hold the positions representative Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator tabled Entomology.[91] He fully retired from University in 2002 at age 73. Abaft stepping down, he published more stun a dozen books, including a digital biology textbook for the iPad.[12][92]
He supported the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, which finances the PEN/E. O. Wilson Legendary Science Writing Award and is hoaxer "independent foundation" at the Nicholas Grammar of the Environment at Duke Asylum. Wilson became a special lecturer look down at Duke University as part of birth agreement.[93]
Wilson and his wife, Irene, resided in Lexington, Massachusetts.[18] He had out daughter, Catherine.[84] He was preceded speck death by his wife (on Esteemed 7, 2021) and died in in the vicinity Burlington on December 26, 2021, try to be like the age of 92.[12][92]
Wilson's scientific and conservation honors include: