E. O. Wilson

Edward Osborne Wilson (June 10, 1929 – December 26, 2021) was a distinguished American biologist, naturalist, ecologist, and entomologist, widely recognized for pioneering the discipline of sociobiology.

Edward Osborne Wilson (June 10, 1929 – December 26, 2021) was an American biologist, naturalist, ecologist, and entomologist who developed the field of sociobiology.

Hailing from Alabama, Wilson developed an early affinity for nature, spending considerable time outdoors. A fishing accident at age seven resulted in partial blindness, which subsequently motivated his decision to pursue entomology. Following his graduation from the University of Alabama, he completed his doctoral studies at Harvard University, where he achieved prominence across several scientific domains. Notably, in 1956, he co-authored a seminal paper establishing the theory of character displacement, and in 1967, he collaborated with Robert MacArthur to formulate the theory of island biogeography.

Wilson held the esteemed position of Pellegrino University Research Professor Emeritus in Entomology within Harvard University's Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, in addition to serving as a lecturer at Duke University and a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. His significant contributions were recognized with the Crafoord Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy and his designation as a humanist laureate by the International Academy of Humanism. He was a two-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, awarded for On Human Nature in 1979 and The Ants in 1991. Furthermore, he achieved New York Times bestselling author status with works such as The Social Conquest of Earth, Letters to a Young Scientist, and The Meaning of Human Existence.

Throughout his career, Wilson's scholarly contributions garnered both commendation and critique. His 1975 publication, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, notably ignited significant controversy, attracting criticism from the Sociobiology Study Group. Moreover, his interpretation of evolutionary theory led to a prominent disagreement with Richard Dawkins concerning multilevel selection theory. Posthumous analyses of his correspondence indicated his support for psychologist J. Philippe Rushton, whose research on race and intelligence is broadly considered by the scientific community to be profoundly flawed and discriminatory.

Early Life, Family Background, and Education

Edward Osborne Wilson was born on June 10, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama, as the sole offspring of Inez Linnette Freeman and Edward Osborne Wilson Sr. As detailed in his autobiography, Naturalist, his upbringing spanned several Southern US towns, including Mobile, Decatur, and Pensacola. He developed an early fascination with natural history. His father, an alcoholic, ultimately died by suicide. His parents permitted him to keep black widow spiders on their porch. Their marriage concluded in divorce when Wilson was seven years old.

Concurrently with his parents' divorce, Wilson sustained an injury in a fishing accident that resulted in blindness in his right eye. Despite enduring persistent pain, he continued to engage in fishing activities. He refrained from complaining, driven by his desire to remain outdoors, and consequently did not seek medical attention. Months later, a cataract obscured his right pupil, necessitating his admission to Pensacola Hospital for lens removal. Wilson recounts in his autobiography that the "surgery was a terrifying [19th] century ordeal." He maintained unimpaired vision in his left eye, possessing 20/10 acuity. This exceptional vision in one eye directed his attention towards "little things," as he noted: "I noticed butterflies and ants more than other kids did, and took an interest in them automatically." Although he lost stereoscopic vision, he retained the capacity to discern fine print and the minute hairs on small insects. This diminished ability to observe larger fauna, such as mammals and birds, subsequently guided his focus toward entomology.

At the age of nine, Wilson initiated his initial expeditions at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., where he commenced collecting insects and developed a profound passion for butterflies. He fashioned nets from brooms, coat hangers, and cheesecloth bags to capture them. These early explorations subsequently ignited Wilson's interest in ants. In his autobiography, he recounts an instance where he peeled bark from a decaying tree, revealing citronella ants beneath. He described these worker ants as "short, fat, brilliant yellow, and emitted a strong lemony odor," an encounter that left a "vivid and lasting impression." Wilson also achieved the Eagle Scout award and served as Nature Director at his Boy Scouts summer camp. At 18, aspiring to become an entomologist, he initially collected flies; however, the scarcity of insect pins during World War II prompted him to shift his focus to ants, which could be preserved in vials. Encouraged by Marion R. Smith, a myrmecologist at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, Wilson undertook a comprehensive survey of Alabama's ant species. This research culminated in his documentation of the first fire ant colony in the U.S., located near the port of Mobile.

Wilson reported attending 15 or 16 different schools over 11 years of his education. Apprehensive about the financial feasibility of university attendance, he attempted to enlist in the U.S. Army to secure federal educational funding. Despite failing the Army medical examination due to impaired eyesight, he successfully enrolled at the University of Alabama, where he completed his Bachelor of Science in 1949 and a Master of Science in biology in 1950. The following year, Wilson transferred to Harvard University.

As an appointee to the Harvard Society of Fellows, Wilson embarked on numerous overseas expeditions. These journeys involved collecting ant species from diverse regions, including Cuba, Mexico, various locations across the South Pacific (such as Australia, New Guinea, Fiji, and New Caledonia), and Sri Lanka. In 1955, he was awarded his Ph.D. and married Irene Kelley.

In his work Letters to a Young Scientist, Wilson disclosed that his IQ was measured at 123.

Career

From 1956 to 1996, Wilson served on the faculty at Harvard University. Initially, his work as an ant taxonomist focused on elucidating their microevolutionary processes, particularly how species diversified by adapting to new habitats and overcoming environmental constraints. During this period, he formulated the theory of the "taxon cycle."

Collaborating with mathematician William H. Bossert, Wilson devised a classification system for pheromones, grounded in insect communication patterns. During the 1960s, he partnered with mathematician and ecologist Robert MacArthur to advance the theory of species equilibrium. In the 1970s, Wilson and biologist Daniel S. Simberloff empirically tested this theory on small mangrove islets within the Florida Keys, where they eradicated all insect species and subsequently monitored their repopulation by new species. The seminal work by Wilson and MacArthur, The Theory of Island Biogeography, became a foundational text in ecology.

In 1971, Wilson published The Insect Societies, a work positing that both insect and other animal behaviors are shaped by analogous evolutionary pressures. He was appointed curator of entomology at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology in 1973. His 1975 book, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, extended his theories of insect behavior to vertebrates and, in its concluding chapter, to humans, where he hypothesized that evolved and inherited predispositions underlie human hierarchical social organization. In 1978, he authored On Human Nature, which explored the biological underpinnings of human cultural evolution and earned him a Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.

Wilson was designated the Frank B. Baird Jr., Professor of Science in 1976. Following his retirement from Harvard in 1996, he assumed the title of Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus. In 1981, a collaboration with biologist Charles Lumsden resulted in the publication of Genes, Mind and Culture, which presented a theory of gene-culture coevolution. He co-authored The Ants with zoologist Bert Hölldobler in 1990, a work that secured his second Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.

During the 1990s, Wilson authored several significant works, including The Diversity of Life (1992); his autobiography, Naturalist (1994); and Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (1998), which explored the integration of the natural and social sciences. He garnered acclaim for his environmental activism and his secular-humanist and deist perspectives on religious and ethical issues.

Throughout his career, Wilson was recognized by various appellations, such as the "father of biodiversity," the "ant man," and "Darwin's heir." In a PBS interview, David Attenborough characterized Wilson as "a magic name to many of us working in the natural world, for two reasons. First, he is a towering example of a specialist, a world authority. Nobody in the world has ever known as much as Ed Wilson about ants. But, in addition to that intense knowledge and understanding, he has the widest of pictures. He sees the planet and the natural world that it contains in amazing detail but extraordinary coherence."

Disagreement with Richard Dawkins

While evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins had previously defended Wilson during the "sociobiology debate," a subsequent disagreement emerged concerning the theory of evolution. This dispute commenced in 2012 when Dawkins published a critical review of Wilson's book, The Social Conquest of Earth, in Prospect Magazine. In his review, Dawkins critiqued Wilson for rejecting kin selection and advocating for group selection, describing these positions as "bland" and "unfocused." He further asserted that the book's theoretical errors were "important, pervasive, and integral to its thesis in a way that renders it impossible to recommend." Wilson subsequently responded in the same publication, stating that Dawkins's critique demonstrated "little connection to the part he criticizes" and accusing him of employing rhetorical tactics.

In a 2014 interview, Wilson asserted, "There is no dispute between me and Richard Dawkins and there never has been, because he's a journalist, and journalists are people that report what the scientists have found and the arguments I've had have actually been with scientists doing research." Dawkins countered this claim via a tweet, stating: "I greatly admire EO Wilson & his huge contributions to entomology, ecology, biogeography, conservation, etc. He's just wrong on kin selection." He later appended, "Anybody who thinks I'm a journalist who reports what other scientists think is invited to read The Extended Phenotype." Biologist Jerry Coyne characterized Wilson's comments as "unfair, inaccurate, and uncharitable." In a 2021 obituary for Wilson, Dawkins clarified that their disagreement was "purely scientific." Dawkins affirmed his stance on his critical review and expressed no regret for "its outspoken tone," while simultaneously reiterating his "profound admiration for Professor Wilson and his life work."

Support for J. Philippe Rushton

Before Wilson's passing, his personal correspondence collection was donated to the Library of Congress at their request. Subsequent to his death, numerous articles emerged that highlighted a perceived inconsistency between Wilson's esteemed legacy in biogeography and conservation biology and his sustained support for J. Philippe Rushton, a figure identified as a scientific racist pseudoscientist. Rushton, a controversial psychologist at the University of Western Ontario, later served as the head of the Pioneer Fund.

Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, Wilson engaged in correspondence with colleagues of Rushton, defending Rushton's research amidst widespread criticism regarding scholarly misconduct, data misrepresentation, and confirmation bias—allegations that Rushton purportedly used to support his theories on race. Wilson also sponsored an article by Rushton in PNAS, intentionally selecting reviewers during the editorial process whom he believed would likely concur with its premise. Wilson discreetly supported Rushton's racial ideologies to avoid public attention and protect his own reputation. When Rushton requested sponsorship for a second PNAS article, Wilson responded: "You have my support in many ways, but for me to sponsor an article on racial differences in the PNAS would be counterproductive for both of us." Wilson also observed that the limited support for Rushton's ideologies was due to the "... fear of being called racist, which is virtually a death sentence in American academia if taken seriously. I admit that I myself have tended to avoid the subject of Rushton's work, out of fear."

In 2022, the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, through its board of directors and staff, released a statement disavowing Wilson's previous endorsement of Rushton and his racist views.

Work

Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975)

Wilson employed sociobiology and evolutionary principles to explain the behavior of social insects, subsequently extending this approach to understand the social behavior of other animals, including humans, thereby establishing sociobiology as a new scientific field. He contended that all animal behavior, encompassing human actions, results from heredity, environmental stimuli, and past experiences, and that free will is an illusion. He coined the term "genetic leash" to describe the biological basis of behavior. The sociobiological viewpoint asserts that all animal social behavior is governed by epigenetic rules, which are shaped by the laws of evolution. This theory and its associated research proved to be seminal, controversial, and influential.

Wilson contended that the gene constitutes the unit of selection, serving as the fundamental element of heredity. The target of selection is typically the individual, who carries a specific ensemble of genes. Pertaining to the explanation of eusocial insect behavior through kin selection, he advanced a "new view... that it was group selection all along, an idea first roughly formulated by Darwin."

Sociobiological research proved particularly contentious at the time, especially concerning its application to human populations. The theory provided a scientific argument for refuting the prevalent doctrine of tabula rasa, which asserts that human beings are born without inherent mental content and that culture primarily functions to enhance human knowledge and contribute to survival and success.

Reception and Controversy

Initially, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis garnered praise from most biologists. However, following substantial criticism launched by the Sociobiology Study Group, an organization associated with Science for the People, a significant dispute known as the "sociobiology debate" ensued. During this controversy, Wilson was accused of racism, misogyny, and supporting eugenics. Several of Wilson's Harvard colleagues, notably Richard Lewontin and Stephen Jay Gould, both members of the Group, were vehemently opposed. Their critiques predominantly focused on Wilson's sociobiological writings. Gould, Lewontin, and other members co-authored "Against 'Sociobiology'" in an open letter, criticizing Wilson's "deterministic view of human society and human action." Furthermore, public lectures, reading groups, and press releases were organized to challenge Wilson's work. In response, Wilson published a discussion article titled "Academic Vigilantism and the Political Significance of Sociobiology" in BioScience.

In February 1978, while attending a discussion on sociobiology at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Wilson was accosted by members of the International Committee Against Racism. These individuals surrounded him, chanted slogans, and doused him with water, alleging that he advocated racism and genetic determinism. Steven Jay Gould, who was present at the event, and Science for the People, an organization that had previously protested Wilson, both condemned the attack.

Mary Midgley, a philosopher, encountered Sociobiology while authoring Beast and Man (1979), leading her to substantially revise the book to critique Wilson's perspectives. Midgley commended the work for its examination of animal behavior, its clarity, scholarly rigor, and comprehensive scope, yet she extensively criticized Wilson for conceptual ambiguities, scientism, and the anthropomorphic application of genetics.

On Human Nature (1978)

In his 1978 publication, On Human Nature, Wilson famously asserted, "The evolutionary epic is probably the best myth we will ever have." Wilson's prominence subsequently popularized the adapted phrase "epic of evolution." This book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1979.

The Ants (1990)

Wilson, in collaboration with Bert Hölldobler, conducted an exhaustive investigation into ants and their behavioral patterns, which culminated in the encyclopedic 1990 publication, The Ants. Observing that significant self-sacrificial behaviors in individual ants could be attributed to their genetic interest in the survival of their sisters, with whom they share approximately 75% of their genes (though some species' queens mate with multiple males, resulting in only 25% relatedness among certain colony workers), Wilson proposed a sociobiological framework to explain all social behavior, drawing parallels from the conduct of social insects.

Regarding ants, Wilson remarked, "Karl Marx was right, socialism works, it is just that he had the wrong species." He contended that individual ants and other eusocial organisms achieve greater Darwinian fitness by prioritizing the colony's needs over their individual requirements, owing to their lack of reproductive autonomy. Since individual ants cannot reproduce without a queen, their fitness is enhanced solely through contributions to the colony's overall fitness. Conversely, humans possess reproductive independence, thereby maximizing their Darwinian fitness by ensuring their own survival and procreating.

Consilience (1998)

In his 1998 publication, Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, Wilson explored methodologies employed to integrate scientific disciplines and potentially bridge the gap between sciences and humanities. He posited that knowledge constitutes a singular, unified entity, rather than being compartmentalized between scientific and humanistic investigations. Wilson coined the term "consilience" to characterize the amalgamation of knowledge derived from diverse specialized domains of human endeavor. He conceptualized human nature as a compilation of epigenetic rules, representing the genetic blueprints of mental development. He asserted that culture and rituals are outcomes of human nature, not intrinsic components. Furthermore, he distinguished that art itself is not inherent to human nature, but the capacity for art appreciation is. He proposed that phenomena such as aesthetic appreciation, ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), or the incest taboo (Westermarck effect) could be rigorously examined using natural scientific methods and integrated into interdisciplinary research.

Spiritual and Political Beliefs

Scientific Humanism

Wilson originated the term scientific humanism, characterizing it as "the only worldview compatible with science's growing knowledge of the real world and the laws of nature." He contended that this perspective is optimally positioned to enhance the human condition. In 2003, he became a signatory of the Humanist Manifesto.

God and Religion

Regarding the concept of God, Wilson characterized his stance as "provisional deism," explicitly rejecting the designation of "atheist" in favor of "agnostic." He articulated his spiritual evolution as a departure from conventional doctrines, stating, "I drifted away from the church, not definitively agnostic or atheistic, just Baptist & Christian no more." Wilson posited that religious belief and rituals are evolutionary outcomes. He advocated for their scientific investigation, rather than outright rejection, to gain a deeper comprehension of their relevance to human nature. In his work The Creation, Wilson urged scientists to "offer the hand of friendship" to religious leaders and forge an alliance, asserting that "Science and religion are two of the most potent forces on Earth and they should come together to save the creation."

Wilson extended an appeal to the religious community, notably during a lecture at Midland College, Texas. This overture reportedly garnered a "massive reply," leading to the drafting of a covenant and the expectation that a "partnership will work to a substantial degree as time goes on."

Wilson, in a New Scientist interview published on January 21, 2015, asserted that religious faith impedes human progress, stating:

For the advancement of humanity, the optimal course of action would involve reducing, and ideally eradicating, religious faiths. This endeavor, however, should not extend to suppressing the inherent aspirations of our species or the pursuit of fundamental inquiries.

Ecology

Reflecting on the revitalization of his foundational research areas since the 1960s, Wilson stated that, given the opportunity to restart his career, he would pursue microbial ecology. He investigated the mass extinctions of the 20th century, analyzing their connection to contemporary society and identifying them as the most significant peril to Earth's future. In 1998, he advocated for an ecological framework at the Capitol, asserting:

The felling of a forest, especially an ancient one, entails more than the mere removal of large trees and a scattering of birds in the canopy. It critically endangers a multitude of species within a localized area, potentially numbering in the tens of thousands. Many of these species remain undiscovered by science, and their crucial contributions to ecosystem maintenance, such as those of fungi, microorganisms, and numerous insects, are yet to be fully understood.

Commencing in the late 1970s, Wilson became deeply engaged in the global preservation of biodiversity, both through his research contributions and advocacy. In 1984, he authored Biophilia, a publication investigating the evolutionary and psychological underpinnings of human affinity for the natural world. This work introduced the term "biophilia," which significantly impacted the development of contemporary conservation ethics. Subsequently, in 1988, Wilson edited the BioDiversity volume, derived from the inaugural U.S. national conference on the topic, thereby popularizing the term "biodiversity." This publication proved highly instrumental in establishing the modern discipline of biodiversity studies. In 2011, Wilson spearheaded scientific expeditions to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique and the archipelagos of Vanuatu and New Caledonia in the southwestern Pacific. His involvement in the international conservation movement extended to roles as a consultant for Columbia University's Earth Institute and as a director for organizations such as the American Museum of Natural History, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and the World Wildlife Fund.

His comprehension of the magnitude of the extinction crisis prompted Wilson to champion forest conservation, notably supporting the "Act to Save America's Forests," which was initially proposed in 1998, reintroduced in 2008, but ultimately failed to pass. The Forests Now Declaration advocated for novel market-based approaches to safeguard tropical forests. Wilson famously likened the destruction of a rainforest for economic benefit to incinerating a Renaissance painting to prepare a meal. In 2014, he proposed dedicating 50% of Earth's land surface to allow other species to flourish, positing this as the sole viable strategy to mitigate the extinction crisis. This concept formed the foundation for his book Half-Earth (2016) and subsequently for the Half-Earth Project, an initiative of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Alan G. Gross examined Wilson's impact on ecology through popular science in his 2018 work, The Scientific Sublime.

Wilson played a pivotal role in initiating the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), an endeavor aimed at establishing a comprehensive global database encompassing information on the 1.9 million species identified by scientific research. Presently, this resource contains data on nearly all recognized species. This accessible and searchable digital repository, which compiles organismal traits, measurements, interactions, and other pertinent data, collaborates with over 300 international partners and numerous scientists to offer global users access to knowledge concerning Earth's biodiversity. Personally, Wilson discovered and formally described more than 400 species of ants.

Retirement and Death

In 1996, Wilson formally retired from Harvard University, though he retained his titles as Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator in Entomology. His complete retirement from Harvard occurred in 2002, at the age of 73. Following his departure, he authored over a dozen books, notably including a digital biology textbook designed for the iPad platform.

E.O. Wilson established the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, an independent entity affiliated with the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. This foundation provides funding for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. Concurrently, Wilson assumed a role as a special lecturer at Duke University, a condition of this arrangement.

E.O. Wilson and his spouse, Irene, resided in Lexington, Massachusetts, and had a daughter named Catherine. Irene Wilson passed away on August 7, 2021, followed by E.O. Wilson's death in Burlington, Massachusetts, on December 26, 2021, at the age of 92.

Awards and Honors

Wilson's notable scientific and conservation accolades comprise:

• Elected Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1959.
• Elected Member, National Academy of Sciences, 1969.
• Elected Member, American Philosophical Society, 1976.
• U.S. National Medal of Science, 1977.
• Leidy Award, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1979.
• Pulitzer Prize for On Human Nature, 1979.
• Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, 1984.
• ECI Prize, International Ecology Institute, for terrestrial ecology, 1987.
• Honorary Doctorate, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Uppsala University, Sweden, 1987.
• Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award, 1988.
• The Institute for Scientific Information conferred the Science Citation Classic award upon his publications, The Insect Societies and Sociobiology: The New Synthesis.
• Crafoord Prize, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 1990.
• Pulitzer Prize for The Ants (co-authored with Bert Hölldobler), 1991.
• International Prize for Biology, 1993.
• Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science, 1994.
• Audubon Medal, National Audubon Society, 1995.
• Recognized by Time magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential People in America, 1995.
• Certificate of Distinction, International Congresses of Entomology, Florence, Italy, 1996.
• Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Sciences, American Philosophical Society, 1998.
• Humanist of the Year, American Humanist Association, 1999.
• Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science, 2000.
• Nierenberg Prize, 2001.
• Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, 2004.
• The Dauphin Island Sea Lab named one of its research vessels the R/V E.O. Wilson.
• Linnean Tercentenary Silver Medal, 2006.
• Addison Emery Verrill Medal, Peabody Museum of Natural History, 2007.
• TED Prize, 2007, awarded annually to acknowledge up to three individuals demonstrating significant positive global impact.
• XIX Premi Internacional Catalunya, 2007.
• The E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center was established on Nokuse Plantation in Walton County, Florida, 2009.
• The Explorers Club Medal, 2009.
• BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, Ecology and Conservation Biology Category, 2010.
• Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture, 2010.
• Heartland Prize for fiction, 2010, for his debut novel Anthill: A Novel.
• EarthSky Science Communicator of the Year, 2010.
• International Cosmos Prize, 2012.
• Fellow, Ecological Society of America, 2012.
• Kew International Medal, 2014.
• Doctor of Science, honoris causa, American Museum of Natural History, 2014.
• Harper Lee Award, 2016.
• Commemorated in the species epithet Myrmoderus eowilsoni, 2018.
• Commemorated in the species epithet Miniopterus wilsoni, 2020.
• Busk Medal, Royal Geographical Society, 2002.

Principal Publications

• Brown, W. L.; Wilson, E. O. (1956). "Character displacement". Systematic Zoology. 5 (2): 49–64. doi:10.2307/2411924. JSTOR 2411924., co-authored with William Brown Jr. This paper was recognized in 1986 as a Science Citation Classic, signifying its status as one of the most frequently cited scientific articles historically.
• The Theory of Island Biogeography, 1967, Princeton University Press (2001 reprint), ISBN 978-0-691-08836-5, co-authored with Robert H. MacArthur.
• The Insect Societies, 1971, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-45490-3.
• Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, 1975, Harvard University Press (Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition, 2000 ISBN 978-0-674-00089-6).
• On Human Nature, 1979, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-01638-5, recipient of the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
• Genes, Mind and Culture: The Coevolutionary Process, 1981, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-34475-4
• Promethean Fire: Reflections on the Origin of Mind, 1983, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-71445-8
• Biophilia, 1984, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-07441-5
• Success and Dominance in Ecosystems: The Case of the Social Insects, 1990, Inter-Research, ISSN 0932-2205
• The Ants, 1990, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-04075-5, awarded the 1991 Pulitzer Prize, co-authored with Bert Hölldobler
• The Diversity of Life, 1992, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-21298-5; also published as The Diversity of Life: Special Edition, ISBN 978-0-674-21299-2
• The Biophilia Hypothesis, 1993, Shearwater Books, ISBN 978-1-55963-148-8, co-authored with Stephen R. Kellert
• Journey to the Ants: A Story of Scientific Exploration, 1994, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-48525-9, co-authored with Bert Hölldobler
• Naturalist, 1994, Shearwater Books, ISBN 978-1-55963-288-1
• In Search of Nature, 1996, Shearwater Books, ISBN 978-1-55963-215-7, co-authored with Laura Simonds Southworth
• Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, 1998, Knopf, ISBN 978-0-679-45077-1
• The Future of Life, 2002, Knopf, ISBN 978-0-679-45078-8
• Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Ant Genus, 2003, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-00293-7
• The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, September 2006, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-06217-5
• Nature Revealed: Selected Writings 1949–2006, ISBN 978-0-8018-8329-3
• The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies, 2009, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-06704-0, co-authored with Bert Hölldobler
• Anthill: A Novel, April 2010, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-07119-1
• Kingdom of Ants: Jose Celestino Mutis and the Dawn of Natural History in the New World, 2010, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, co-authored with José María Gómez Durán ISBN 978-0-8018-9785-6
• The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct, 2011, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-33868-3, co-authored with Bert Hölldobler
• The Social Conquest of Earth, 2012, Liveright Publishing Corporation, New York, ISBN 978-0-87140-363-6
• Letters to a Young Scientist, 2014, Liveright, ISBN 978-0-87140-385-8
• A Window on Eternity: A Biologist's Walk Through Gorongosa National Park, 2014, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-1-4767-4741-5
• The Meaning of Human Existence, 2014, Liveright, ISBN 978-0-87140-100-7
• Half-Earth, 2016, Liveright, ISBN 978-1-63149-082-8
• The Origins of Creativity, 2017, Liveright, ISBN 978-1-63149-318-8
• Genesis: The Deep Origin of Societies, 2019, Liveright; ISBN 978-1-63149-554-0
• Tales from the Ant World, 2020, Liveright, ISBN 978-1-63149-556-4
• Naturalist: A Graphic Adaptation, November 10, 2020, Island Press; ISBN 978-1-61091-958-6

Edited Publications

• From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin's Four Great Books, edited with introductions by Edward O. Wilson (2005, W. W. Norton) ISBN 978-0-393-06134-5

References

Source Materials

Books

• Wilson, E. O. (1995). Naturalist. Warner Books. ISBN 978-1-59726-088-6.
• Rhodes, Richard (2021). E. O. Wilson: A Life in Nature. Knopf Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-54556-3.

Journal Articles

• Hölldobler, Bert (January 21, 2022). "Edward Osborne Wilson, Naturalist (1929–2021)". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119 (5), e2200201119. Bibcode:2022PNAS..11900201H. doi:10.1073/pnas.2200201119. PMC 8812546. PMID 35064007.
• Simberloff, Daniel (November 2022). "Edward O. Wilson (1929–2021): It All Started with Ants". The American Naturalist, 200 (5): 621–737. doi:10.1086/721257. PMID 36260849. S2CID 252995823.

Newspaper Articles

• Rothstein, Edward (May 2, 1998). "Now a Warm Welcome Instead of a Cold Bath." The New York Times. Retrieved January 31, 2023.

• Curriculum vitae
• Dawkins, Richard (May 24, 2012). "The Descent of Edward Wilson." Prospect. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. A review of The Social Conquest of Earth.
• Dawkins, Richard (May 24, 2012). "The Descent of Edward Wilson". Prospect. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Review of The Social Conquest of Earth
• E. O. Wilson at TED
• Works by or about E. O. Wilson at the Internet Archive
• "DISCOVER MAGAZINE (TV series): Ants, With E.O. Wilson." September 7, 2014.