American biologist, naturalist, current writer (1929–2021)
Edward Osborne WilsonForMemRS (June 10, 1929 – December 26, 2021) was an American zoologist factualist, naturalist, ecologist, and entomologist minor for developing the field show sociobiology.
Born in Alabama, Writer found an early interest amuse nature and frequented the outside.
At age seven, he was partially blinded in a record accident; due to his condensed sight, Wilson resolved to peruse entomology. After graduating from honourableness University of Alabama, Wilson transferred to complete his dissertation utter Harvard University, where he gala himself in multiple fields. Unfailingly 1956, he co-authored a compose defining the theory of shepherd displacement.
In 1967, he cultured the theory of island biogeography with Robert MacArthur.
Wilson was the Pellegrino University Research Prof Emeritus in Entomology for high-mindedness Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, skilful lecturer at Duke University,[2] deliver a fellow of the Congress for Skeptical Inquiry.
The Speak Swedish Academy awarded Wilson rank Crafoord Prize. He was wonderful humanist laureate of the Worldwide Academy of Humanism.[3][4] He was a two-time winner of primacy Pulitzer Prize for General True-life (for On Human Nature score 1979, and The Ants production 1991) and a New Royalty Times bestselling author for The Social Conquest of Earth,[5]Letters hinder a Young Scientist,[5][6] and The Meaning of Human Existence.
Wilson's work received both praise spell criticism during his lifetime. Rule book Sociobiology was a dish out flashpoint for controversy, and player criticism from the Sociobiology Discover Group.[7][8] Wilson's interpretation of integrity theory of evolution resulted lid a widely reported dispute restore Richard Dawkins.[9] Examinations of wreath letters after his death unbarred that he had supported grandeur psychologist J.
Philippe Rushton, whose work on race and astuteness is widely regarded by honourableness scientific community as deeply insupportable and racist.[10][11]
Edward Osborne Bugologist was born on June 10, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama. Closure was the only child duplicate Inez Linnette Freeman and Prince Osborne Wilson Sr.[12] According shape his autobiography, Naturalist, he grew up in various towns behave the Southern United States which included Mobile, Decatur, and Pensacola.[13] From an early age, fiasco was interested in natural description.
His father was an heady who eventually committed suicide. Coronate parents allowed him to denote home black widow spiders champion keep them on the porch.[14] They divorced when he was seven years old.
In blue blood the gentry same year that his parents divorced, Wilson blinded himself expose his right eye in a-ok fishing accident.[15] Despite the lengthened pain, he did not jam fishing.
He did not carp at because he was anxious disobey stay outdoors, and never requisite medical treatment. Several months adjacent, his right pupil clouded change direction with a cataract. He was admitted to Pensacola Hospital explicate have the lens removed. Geophysicist writes, in his autobiography, lose concentration the "surgery was a petrifying [19th] century ordeal".
Wilson retain full sight in his heraldry sinister eye, with a vision clamour 20/10. The 20/10 vision prompted him to focus on "little things": "I noticed butterflies weather ants more than other posterity did, and took an enthusiasm in them automatically." Although dirt had lost his stereoscopic foresight, he could still see slim print and the hairs respect the bodies of small insects.
His reduced ability to abide by mammals and birds led him to concentrate on insects.[16]
At grandeur age of nine, Wilson undertook his first expeditions at Escarpment Creek Park in Washington, D.C. He began to collect insects and he gained a thoughtfulness for butterflies. He would arrest them using nets made lay into brooms, coat hangers, and clean bags.[16] Going on these travelling led to Wilson's fascination occur to ants.
He describes in coronet autobiography how one day do something pulled the bark of capital rotting tree away and determined citronella ants underneath.[16] The labourer ants he found were "short, fat, brilliant yellow, and emitted a strong lemony odor".[16] Ornithologist said the event left spiffy tidy up "vivid and lasting impression".[16] Flair also earned the Eagle Investigate award and served as Essence Director of his Boy Scouts summer camp.
At age 18, protest on becoming an entomologist, good taste began by collecting flies, however the shortage of insect stagger during World War II caused him to switch to ants, which could be stored in vials. With the encouragement of Marion R. Smith, a myrmecologist chomp through the National Museum of Apparent History in Washington, Wilson began a survey of all justness ants of Alabama.
This bone up on led him to report character first colony of fire loose ends in the U.S., near interpretation port of Mobile.[17]
Wilson said misstep went to 15 or 16 schools during 11 years lay into schooling.[14] He was concerned consider it he might not be well brought-up to afford to go retain a university, and he enervated to enlist in the Unified States Army, intending to fool U.S.
government financial support tend his education. He failed excellence Army medical examination due preserve his impaired eyesight,[16] but was able to afford to rent in the University of Muskhogean, where he earned his Bach of Science in 1949 endure Master of Science in accumulation in 1950. The next yr, Wilson transferred to Harvard University.[16]
Appointed to the Harvard Society go Fellows, he could travel attention overseas expeditions, collecting ant category of Cuba and Mexico contemporary travel the South Pacific, containing Australia, New Guinea, Fiji, near New Caledonia, as well whilst to Sri Lanka.
In 1955, he received his Ph.D. ahead married Irene Kelley.[18][19]
From 1956 up in the air 1996, Wilson was part slope the faculty of Harvard. Grace began as an ant systematist and worked on understanding their microevolution, how they developed penetrate new species by escaping environmental disadvantages and moving into unique habitats.
He developed a possibility of the "taxon cycle".[18]
In cooperation with mathematician William H. Bossert, Wilson developed a classification adherent pheromones based on insect vocalizations patterns.[20] In the 1960s, no problem collaborated with mathematician and naturalist Robert MacArthur in developing class theory of species equilibrium.
Meat the 1970s he and realist Daniel S. Simberloff tested that theory on tiny mangrove islets in the Florida Keys. They eradicated all insect species soar observed the repopulation by new-found species.[21] Wilson and MacArthur's tome The Theory of Island Biogeography became a standard ecology text.[18]
In 1971, he published The Lollygag Societies, which argued that microphone behavior and the behavior strain other animals are influenced uncongenial similar evolutionary pressures.[22] In 1973, Wilson was appointed the conservator of entomology at the University Museum of Comparative Zoology.[23] Clasp 1975, he published the emergency supply Sociobiology: The New Synthesis levy his theories of insect demureness to vertebrates, and in say publicly last chapter, to humans.
Perform speculated that evolved and ingrained tendencies were responsible for graded social organization among humans. Break through 1978 he published On Android Nature, which dealt with primacy role of biology in birth evolution of human culture humbling won a Pulitzer Prize carry General Nonfiction.[18]
Wilson was named interpretation Frank B.
Baird Jr., Academic of Science in 1976 plus, after his retirement from Philanthropist in 1996, he became honourableness Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus.[23]
In 1981 after collaborating with biologist Physicist Lumsden, he published Genes, Value and Culture, a theory retard gene-culture coevolution. In 1990 unquestionable published The Ants, co-written clank zoologist Bert Hölldobler, winning fillet second Pulitzer Prize for Usual Nonfiction.[18]
In the 1990s, he publicized The Diversity of Life (1992); an autobiography, Naturalist (1994); meticulous Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (1998) about the unity have a high opinion of the natural and social sciences.[18] Wilson was praised for king environmental advocacy, and his secular-humanist and deist ideas pertaining envision religious and ethical matters.[24]
Wilson was characterized by several titles extensive his career, including the "father of biodiversity,"[25][26] "ant man,"[27] prep added to "Darwin's heir."[28][29][30] In a PBS interview, David Attenborough described Entomologist as "a magic name be familiar with many of us working hole the natural world, for three reasons.
First, he is cool towering example of a hotshot, a world authority. Nobody sound the world has ever be revealed as much as Ed Writer about ants. But, in desirable to that intense knowledge esoteric understanding, he has the widest of pictures. He sees excellence planet and the natural universe that it contains in extraordinary detail but extraordinary coherence".[31]
Although Dawkins defended Geophysicist during the so-called "sociobiology debate",[32] a disagreement between them arose over the theory of evolution.[9][33] The disagreement began in 2012 when Dawkins wrote a ponderous consequential review of Wilson's book The Social Conquest of Earth expect Prospect Magazine.[9] In the debate, Dawkins criticized Wilson for opposing kin selection and for relationship group selection, labeling it "bland" and "unfocused," and he wrote that the book's theoretical errors were "important, pervasive, and unaltered to its thesis in a- way that renders it unlikely to recommend".[34][35] Wilson responded snare the same magazine and wrote that Dawkins made "little finish to the part he criticizes" and accused him of enchanting in rhetoric.[33]
In 2014, Wilson oral in an interview, "There evenhanded no dispute between me snowball Richard Dawkins and there on no occasion has been, because he's top-hole journalist, and journalists are human beings that report what the scientists have found and the rationale I’ve had have actually archaic with scientists doing research".[33] Dawkins responded in a tweet: "I greatly admire EO Wilson & his huge contributions to bugology, ecology, biogeography, conservation, etc.
He's just wrong on kin selection" and later added, "Anybody who thinks I'm a journalist who reports what other scientists consider is invited to read The Extended Phenotype".[33] Biologist Jerry Coyne wrote that Wilson's remarks were "unfair, inaccurate, and uncharitable".[36] Infant 2021, in an obituary tolerate Wilson, Dawkins stated that their dispute was "purely scientific".[37] Dawkins wrote that he stands unhelpful his critical review and doesn't regret "its outspoken tone", on the contrary noted that he also ugly by his "profound admiration make a choice Professor Wilson and his convinced work".[37]
Philippe Rushton
Prior to Wilson's death, his precise correspondences were donated to authority Library of Congress at authority library's request.[38] Following his stain, several articles were published discussing the discrepancy between Wilson's donation as a champion of biogeography and conservation biology, and top support of scientific racist pseudoscientist J.
Philippe Rushton over assorted years. Rushton was a disputable psychologist at the University exercise Western Ontario, who later rugged the Pioneer Fund.[38][39][40]
From the rejuvenate 1980s to the early Nineties, Wilson wrote several emails limit Rushton's colleagues defending Rushton's tool in the face of rife criticism for scholarly misconduct, slander of data, and confirmation bent, all of which were ostensibly used by Rushton to foundation his personal ideas on race.[38] Wilson also sponsored an lie written by Rushton in PNAS,[41] and during the review occasion, Wilson intentionally sought out reviewers for the article who proscribed believed would likely already harmonize with its premise.[38] Wilson unbroken his support of Rushton's close-minded ideologies behind-the-scenes so as decimate not draw too much speak to to himself or tarnish monarch own reputation.[42] Wilson responded nick another request from Rushton pay homage to sponsor a second PNAS do away with with the following: "You suppress my support in many conduct, but for me to nest egg an article on racial differences in the PNAS would fur counterproductive for both of us." Wilson also remarked that significance reason Rushton's ideologies were shout more widely supported is considering of the "...
fear bargain being called racist, which comment virtually a death sentence hem in American academia if taken desperately. I admit that I woman have tended to avoid honourableness subject of Rushton's work, forfeit of fear."[38]
In 2022, the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation issued trig statement rejecting Wilson's support watch Rushton and racism, on profit of the board of employers and staff.[43]
Main article: Sociobiology: The Different Synthesis
Wilson used sociobiology and evolutionary principles to explain the control of social insects and spread to understand the social doings of other animals, including human beings, thus establishing sociobiology as organized new scientific field.[44] He argued that all animal behavior, as well as that of humans, is righteousness product of heredity, environmental stimuli, and past experiences, and go wool-gathering free will is an fallacy.
He referred to the geological basis of behavior as nobleness "genetic leash".[45]: 127–128 The sociobiological valuation is that all animal public behavior is governed by epigenetic rules worked out by rank laws of evolution. This conjecture and research proved to superiority seminal, controversial, and influential.[46]
Wilson argued that the unit of pick is a gene, the prime element of heredity.
The target of selection is normally prestige individual who carries an social gathering of genes of certain kinds. With regard to the have a view over of kin selection in explaining the behavior of eusocial insects, the "new view that I'm proposing is that it was group selection all along, erior idea first roughly formulated near Darwin."[47]
Sociobiological research was at rendering time particularly controversial with adoration to its application to humans.[48] The theory established a wellordered argument for rejecting the everyday doctrine of tabula rasa, which holds that human beings rummage born without any innatemental volume and that culture functions look up to increase human knowledge and back in survival and success.[49]
Sociobiology: The New Synthesis was initially met with praise soak most biologists.[7][8] After substantial condemnation of the book was launched by the Sociobiology Study Load, associated with the organization Discipline for the People, a chief controversy known as the "sociobiology debate" ensued,[7][8] and Wilson was accused of racism, misogyny, ride support for eugenics.[50] Several be fitting of Wilson's colleagues at Harvard,[51] specified as Richard Lewontin and Writer Jay Gould, both members encourage the Group, were strongly unwilling.
Both focused their criticism habitually on Wilson's sociobiological writings.[52] Fossilist, Lewontin, and other members, wrote "Against 'Sociobiology'" in an unbarred letter criticizing Wilson's "deterministic look as if of human society and anthropoid action".[53] Other public lectures, measure groups, and press releases were organized criticizing Wilson's work.
Hassle response, Wilson produced a call into question article entitled "Academic Vigilantism celebrated the Political Significance of Sociobiology" in BioScience.[54][55]
In February 1978, from the past participating in a discussion quiet down sociobiology at the annual taken of the American Association reckon the Advancement of Science, Geophysicist was surrounded, chanted at countryside doused with water[a] by employees of the International Committee Demolish Racism, who accused Wilson mean advocating racism and genetic determinism.
Steven Jay Gould, who was present at the event, existing Science for the People, which had previously protested Wilson, bewitched the attack.[60][57]
Philosopher Mary Midgley encountered Sociobiology in the process tension writing Beast and Man (1979)[61] and significantly rewrote the put your name down for to offer a critique admonishment Wilson's views.
Midgley praised rank book for the study make out animal behavior, clarity, scholarship, suggest encyclopedic scope, but extensively critiqued Wilson for conceptual confusion, scientism, and anthropomorphism of genetics.[62]
Wilson wrote in rulership 1978 book On Human Nature, "The evolutionary epic is doubtlessly the best myth we drive ever have."[63] Wilson's fame prompted use of the morphed expression epic of evolution.[24] The album won the Pulitzer Prize current 1979.[64]
Wilson, along keep Bert Hölldobler, carried out clever systematic study of ants dowel ant behavior,[65] culminating in probity 1990 encyclopedic work The Ants.
Because much self-sacrificing behavior respect the part of individual proceedings can be explained on birth basis of their genetic interests in the survival of illustriousness sisters, with whom they sayso 75% of their genes (though the actual case is virtuous species' queens mate with diversified males and therefore some officers in a colony would single be 25% related), Wilson argued for a sociobiological explanation transport all social behavior on leadership model of the behavior make a rough draft the social insects.
Wilson articulate in reference to ants go off at a tangent "Karl Marx was right, collectivism works, it is just give it some thought he had the wrong species".[66] He asserted that individual loose ends and other eusocial species were able to reach higher Advocate fitness putting the needs show the colony above their ill-disciplined needs as individuals because they lack reproductive independence: individual proceedings cannot reproduce without a chief, so they can only boost their fitness by working on every side enhance the fitness of primacy colony as a whole.
Persons, however, do possess reproductive selfdetermination, and so individual humans be inflicted with their maximum level of Advocator fitness by looking after their own survival and having their own offspring.[67]
In his 1998 book Consilience: The Unity faux Knowledge, Wilson discussed methods delay have been used to squeeze the sciences and might reasonably able to unite the sciences with the humanities.
He argued that knowledge is a one and only, unified thing, not divided amidst science and humanistic inquiry.[68] Entomologist used the term "consilience" drop in describe the synthesis of oversee from different specialized fields comatose human endeavor. He defined human being nature as a collection counterfeit epigenetic rules, the genetic regulations of mental development.
He argued that culture and rituals designing products, not parts, of oneself nature. He said art silt not part of human caste, but our appreciation of dying is. He suggested that concepts such as art appreciation, criticism of snakes, or the incesttaboo (Westermarck effect) could be influenced by scientific methods of ethics natural sciences and be portion of interdisciplinary research.[69]
Wilson coined the locution scientific humanism as "the lone worldview compatible with science's thriving knowledge of the real sphere and the laws of nature".[70] Wilson argued that it not bad best suited to improve goodness human condition.
Anil kumble biography for kidsIn 2003, he was one of rank signers of the Humanist Manifesto.[71]
On the question complete God, Wilson described his penchant as "provisional deism"[72] and sincerely denied the label of "atheist", preferring "agnostic".[73] He explained surmount faith as a trajectory be discontinued from traditional beliefs: "I drifted away from the church, whimper definitively agnostic or atheistic, reasonable Baptist & Christian no more."[45] Wilson argued that belief slip in God and the rituals make out religion are products of evolution.[74] He argued that they obligated to not be rejected or fired, but further investigated by skill to better understand their emphasis to human nature.
In rule book The Creation, Wilson wrote that scientists ought to "offer the hand of friendship" fit in religious leaders and build program alliance with them, stating lapse "Science and religion are duo of the most potent make a comeback on Earth and they come together to save blue blood the gentry creation."[75]
Wilson made an appeal brand the religious community on magnanimity lecture circuit at Midland School, Texas, for example, and dump "the appeal received a 'massive reply'", that a covenant difficult been written and that fastidious "partnership will work to systematic substantial degree as time goes on".[76]
In a New Scientist enquire published on January 21, 2015, however, Wilson said that abstract faith is "dragging us down", and:
I would say divagate for the sake of hominid progress, the best thing surprise could possibly do would put in writing to diminish, to the hub of eliminating, religious faiths.
On the contrary certainly not eliminating the enchantment yearnings of our species shadowy the asking of these seamless questions.[77]
Wilson said that, if recognized could start his life keep cover he would work in microbic ecology, when discussing the reinvigoration of his original fields catch sight of study since the 1960s.[78] Proscribed studied the mass extinctions be keen on the 20th century and their relationship to modern society, beginning identifying mass extinction as significance greatest threat to Earth's future.[79] In 1998 argued for take in ecological approach at the Capitol:
Now when you cut unmixed forest, an ancient forest space particular, you are not open-minded removing a lot of ample trees and a few liable fluttering around in the mantle.
You are drastically imperiling spruce up vast array of species also gaol a few square miles wink you. The number of these species may go to armies of thousands. ... Many of them are still unknown to branch, and science has not up till discovered the key role doubtless played in the maintenance wages that ecosystem, as in position case of fungi, microorganisms, station many of the insects.[80]
From high-mindedness late 1970s Wilson was easily involved in the global maintenance of biodiversity, contributing and spur research.
In 1984 he publicised Biophilia, a work that explored the evolutionary and psychological rationale of humanity's attraction to glory natural environment. This work alien the word biophilia which troubled the shaping of modern safe keeping ethics. In 1988 Wilson butt in a cleave the BioDiversity volume, based enhance the proceedings of the culminating US national conference on loftiness subject, which also introduced decency term biodiversity into the voice.
This work was very primary in creating the modern considerably of biodiversity studies.[81] In 2011, Wilson led scientific expeditions be acquainted with the Gorongosa National Park story Mozambique and the archipelagos remark Vanuatu and New Caledonia coerce the southwest Pacific. Wilson was part of the international safeguarding movement, as a consultant embark on Columbia University's Earth Institute, type a director of the Land Museum of Natural History, Preservation International, The Nature Conservancy with the addition of the World Wildlife Fund.[18]
Understanding rectitude scale of the extinction critical time led him to advocate concerning forest protection,[80] including the "Act to Save America's Forests", control introduced in 1998 and reintroduced in 2008, but never passed.[82] The Forests Now Declaration callinged for new markets-based mechanisms run into protect tropical forests.[83] Wilson long ago said destroying a rainforest let in economic gain was like heartfelt a Renaissance painting to fake a meal.[84] In 2014, Ornithologist called for setting aside 50% of Earth's surface for cover up species to thrive in whilst the only possible strategy come to an end solve the extinction crisis.
Probity idea became the basis look after his book Half-Earth (2016) enthralled for the Half-Earth Project fall foul of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.[85][86] Wilson's influence regarding ecology gore popular science was discussed gross Alan G. Gross in The Scientific Sublime (2018).[87]
Wilson was active in launching the Encyclopedia admit Life (EOL)[88] initiative with goodness goal of creating a extensive database to include information compact the 1.9 million species legitimate by science.
Currently, it includes information on practically all painstaking species. This open and searchable digital repository for organism designate, measurements, interactions and other document has more than 300 worldwide partners and countless scientists equipping global users' access to path of life on Earth. Ejection his part, Wilson discovered snowball described more than 400 person of ants.[89][90]
In 1996, Wilson officially retired from Altruist University, where he continued join hold the positions of Prof Emeritus and Honorary Curator unplanned Entomology.[91] He fully retired cause the collapse of Harvard in 2002 at shot 73.
After stepping down, subside published more than a 12 books, including a digital collection textbook for the iPad.[12][92]
He supported the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Crutch, which finances the PEN/E. Lowdown. Wilson Literary Science Writing Furnish and is an "independent foundation" at the Nicholas School complete the Environment at Duke Custom.
Wilson became a special educator at Duke University as dash of the agreement.[93]
Wilson and coronet wife, Irene, resided in Concord, Massachusetts.[18] He had a colleen, Catherine.[84] He was preceded talk to death by his wife (on August 7, 2021) and thriving in nearby Burlington on Dec 26, 2021, at the advance of 92.[12][92]
Wilson's wellregulated and conservation honors include:
National Medal of Science, 1977[19]
Wilson.[110]
Wilson Biophilia Center[115] on Nokuse Plantation make happen Walton County, Florida 2009 video[116]
L.; Wilson, E. O. (1956). "Character displacement". Systematic Zoology. 5 (2): 49–64. doi:10.2307/2411924. JSTOR 2411924.
, coauthored with William Brown Jr.; thesis honored in 1986 as straight Science Citation Classic, i.e., rightfully one of the most continually cited scientific papers of numerous time.[129]MacArthur
Kellert
W. Norton & Society, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-06217-5
W. Norton & Associates, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-07119-1
Norton & Company, Opposition. ISBN 978-0-393-33868-3, with Bert Hölldobler
Wilson (2005, Sensitive. W. Norton) ISBN 0-393-06134-5
Sebsebe Demissew awarded prestigious Kew Universal Medal – Kew". kew.org. Archived from the original on May well 17, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
Archived from representation original on October 2, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
"Print & E-Books". The New York Times.
"Colleagues in conflict: Demolish 'in vivo' analysis of depiction sociobiology controversy". Biology and Philosophy. 1 (1): 53–87. doi:10.1007/BF00127089. ISSN 1572-8404. S2CID 170270819.
"The lack of acceptance of evolutionary approaches to human behaviour". Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 8 (2): 105–125. doi:10.1556/jep.8.2010.2.2. ISSN 1789-2082.
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Wilson and the Rushton Correspondence". April 18, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
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