Edward O. Wilson

Edward O. Wilson, born in 1929, American evolutionary biologist, best known for his work tracing the effect of natural selection on biological communities, especially on populations of ants, and for extending these ideas to the behavior of human populations in the theory of sociobiology. Edward Osborne Wilson completed his doctorate at Harvard University in 1955, became a zoology professor there in 1956, and has been a professor at the university ever since.

Sociobiology investigates the biological bases of social behavior, theorizing that certain behaviors are genetically based and that evolutionary processes favor those behaviors that enhance reproductive success and survival. While evolution has been linked to the development of the physical characteristics shared by members of a species, sociobiology proposes that behavioral characteristics evolve as well, explaining the effective functioning of groups of individuals. Extending his theory to human communities, Wilson argued that many behavioral characteristics (such as heroism, altruism, aggressiveness, and male dominance) should be understood as evolutionary outcomes, and that much of human behavior is genetically determined. His conclusions attracted considerable controversy. Wilson's book On Human Nature (1975) won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction in 1979.