Edward O. Wilson

American biologist, naturalist, and writer (1929–2021)

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About

Edward O. Wilson, born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1929, was a world-renowned American biologist. An expert on ants, he earned his PhD from Harvard in 1955 and taught there until 1997. With Robert MacArthur, he founded island biogeography (1967). His book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975) sparked debate by proposing an evolutionary basis for social behavior. He won two Pulitzer Prizes for On Human Nature (1979) and The Ants (1991). An advocate for biodiversity, he popularized the concepts of biophilia and biodiversity, and launched the Encyclopedia of Life. He died in 2021.

* 1929-06-10 — † 2021-12-26

Major works

The Theory of Island Biogeography (1967)scientific book
Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975)scientific book
On Human Nature (1978)essay
The Ants (1990)scientific book
Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (1998)essay

Key milestones

1955Earned his PhD in biology from Harvard University.
1969Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
1990Received the Crafoord Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Themes

BiodiversitySociobiologyBiophiliaConservationIsland biogeography

Sources: news.harvard.edu · eowilsonfoundation.org · findingaids.loc.gov

“If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.”

— Edward O. WilsonTheme · Nature

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“We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom.”

— Edward O. WilsonTheme · Wisdom

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“The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.”

— Edward O. WilsonTheme · Nature

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