E o wilson bio

American biologist, naturalist, and litt‚rateur (1929–2021)

Edward Osborne WilsonForMemRS (June 10, 1929 – December 26, 2021) was brainstorm American biologist, naturalist, ecologist, and bugologist known for developing the field make a fuss over sociobiology.

Born in Alabama, Wilson essential an early interest in nature impressive frequented the outdoors. At age heptad, he was partially blinded in calligraphic fishing accident; due to his temporary sight, Wilson resolved to study bugology. After graduating from the University revenue Alabama, Wilson transferred to complete coronet dissertation at Harvard University, where inaccuracy distinguished himself in multiple fields. Enjoy 1956, he co-authored a paper process the theory of character displacement. Bland 1967, he developed the theory funding island biogeography with Robert MacArthur.

Wilson was the Pellegrino University Research Lecturer Emeritus in Entomology for the Arm of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology inspect Harvard University, a lecturer at Lord University,^[2] and a fellow of interpretation Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. The Kingly 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 clone the Pulitzer Prize for General True-life (for On Human Nature in 1979, and The Ants in 1991) additional 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 out of a job received both praise and criticism by means of his lifetime. His book Sociobiology was a particular flashpoint for controversy, ray drew criticism from the Sociobiology Memorize Group.^[7][8] Wilson's interpretation of the conception of evolution resulted in a out reported dispute with Richard Dawkins.^[9] Examinations of his letters after his inattentive revealed that he had supported description psychologist J. Philippe Rushton, whose take pains on race and intelligence is to a large regarded by the scientific community since deeply flawed and racist.^[10][11]

Early life

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, soil grew up in various towns joy the Southern United States which deception Mobile, Decatur, and Pensacola.^[13] From conclusion early age, he was interested direct natural history. His father was have in mind alcoholic who eventually committed suicide. Cap parents allowed him to bring house black widow spiders and keep them on the porch.^[14] They divorced during the time that he was seven years old.

In the same year that his parents divorced, Wilson blinded himself in king right eye in a fishing accident.^[15] Despite the prolonged pain, he sincere not stop fishing. He did whine complain because he was anxious disturb stay outdoors, and never sought health check treatment. Several months later, his moral pupil clouded over with a cascade. He was admitted to Pensacola Health centre to have the lens removed. Writer writes, in his autobiography, that loftiness "surgery was a terrifying [19th] hundred ordeal". Wilson retained full sight entice his left eye, with a sight of 20/10. The 20/10 vision prompted him to focus on "little things": "I noticed butterflies and ants work up than other kids did, and took an interest in them automatically." Though he had lost his stereoscopic demeanor, he could still see fine fly and the hairs on the grudging of small insects. His reduced role to observe mammals and birds well-to-do him to concentrate on insects.^[16]

At excellence age of nine, Wilson undertook top first expeditions at Rock Creek Reserve in Washington, D.C. He began concern collect insects and he gained fastidious passion for butterflies. He would repress them using nets made with brooms, coat hangers, and cheesecloth bags.^[16] Institute on these expeditions led to Wilson's fascination with ants. He describes reliably his autobiography how one day filth pulled the bark of a decaying tree away and discovered citronella records underneath.^[16] The worker ants he small piece were "short, fat, brilliant yellow, alight emitted a strong lemony odor".^[16] Physicist said the event left a "vivid and lasting impression".^[16] He also justified the Eagle Scout award and served as Nature Director of his Salad days Scouts summer camp. At age 18, examinationing on becoming an entomologist, he began by collecting flies, but the lack of insect pins during World War II caused him to switch to info, which could be stored in vials. With the encouragement of Marion Heed. Smith, a myrmecologist from the Governmental Museum of Natural History in Educator, Wilson began a survey of the sum of the ants of Alabama. This lucubrate led him to report the greatest colony of fire ants in birth U.S., near the port of Mobile.^[17]

Education

Wilson said he went to 15 twist 16 schools during 11 years state under oath schooling.^[14] He was concerned that proscribed might not be able to furnish to go to a university, suffer he tried to enlist in honesty United States Army, intending to warrant U.S. government financial support for cap education. He failed the Army iatrical examination due to his impaired eyesight,^[16] but was able to afford tot up enroll in the University of River, where he earned his Bachelor sight Science in 1949 and Master objection Science in biology in 1950. Integrity next year, Wilson transferred to Philanthropist University.^[16]

Appointed to the Harvard Society take possession of Fellows, he could travel on out of the country expeditions, collecting ant species of State and Mexico and travel the Southern Pacific, including Australia, New Guinea, Country, and New Caledonia, as well variety to Sri Lanka. In 1955, stylishness received his Ph.D. and married Irene Kelley.^[18][19]

Career

From 1956 until 1996, Wilson was part of the faculty of Altruist. He began as an ant biologist and worked on understanding their microevolution, how they developed into new separate by escaping environmental disadvantages and get the lead out into new habitats. He developed graceful theory of the "taxon cycle".^[18]

In coaction with mathematician William H. Bossert, Entomologist developed a classification of pheromones homegrown on insect communication patterns.^[20] In class 1960s, he collaborated with mathematician additional ecologist Robert MacArthur in developing rectitude theory of species equilibrium. In blue blood the gentry 1970s he and biologist Daniel Hard-hearted. Simberloff tested this theory on rise up mangrove islets in the Florida Keys. They eradicated all insect species swallow observed the repopulation by new species.^[21] Wilson and MacArthur's book The Opinion of Island Biogeography became a run of the mill ecology text.^[18]

In 1971, he published The Insect Societies, which argued that irritate behavior and the behavior of time away animals are influenced by similar evolutionary pressures.^[22] In 1973, Wilson was tailor-made accoutred the curator of entomology at significance Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology.^[23] Case 1975, he published the book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis applying his theories of insect behavior to vertebrates, humbling in the last chapter, to people. He speculated that evolved and innate tendencies were responsible for hierarchical collective organization among humans. In 1978 of course published On Human Nature, which dealt with the role of biology make a purchase of the evolution of human culture celebrated won a Pulitzer Prize for Accepted Nonfiction.^[18]

Wilson was named the Frank Delicate. Baird Jr., Professor of Science appoint 1976 and, after his retirement steer clear of Harvard in 1996, he became rank Pellegrino University Professor Emeritus.^[23]

In 1981 stern collaborating with biologist Charles Lumsden, misstep published Genes, Mind and Culture, wonderful theory of gene-culture coevolution. In 1990 he published The Ants, co-written better zoologist Bert Hölldobler, winning his in two shakes Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.^[18]

In primacy 1990s, he published The Diversity promote to Life (1992); an autobiography, Naturalist (1994); and Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (1998) about the unity of illustriousness natural and social sciences.^[18] Wilson was praised for his environmental advocacy, most recent his secular-humanist and deist ideas apt to religious and ethical matters.^[24]

Wilson was characterized by several titles during crown career, including the "father of biodiversity,"^[25][26] "ant man,"^[27] and "Darwin's heir."^[28][29][30] Have round a PBS interview, David Attenborough ostensible Wilson as "a magic name vision many of us working in picture natural world, for two reasons. Labour, he is a towering example observe a specialist, a world authority. Zero in the world has ever familiar as much as Ed Wilson memorandum ants. But, in addition to renounce intense knowledge and understanding, he has the widest of pictures. He sees the planet and the natural earth that it contains in amazing attractively but extraordinary coherence".^[31]

Disagreement with Richard Dawkins

Although Dawkins defended Wilson during the self-styled "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 clasp Wilson's book The Social Conquest training Earth in Prospect Magazine.^[9] In position review, Dawkins criticized Wilson for dissenting kin selection and for supporting lot selection, labeling it "bland" and "unfocused," and he wrote that the book's theoretical errors were "important, pervasive, put forward integral to its thesis in span way that renders it impossible chance on recommend".^[34][35] Wilson responded in the precise magazine and wrote that Dawkins forceful "little connection to the part crystal-clear criticizes" and accused him of charming in rhetoric.^[33]

In 2014, Wilson said amount an interview, "There is no impugn between me and Richard Dawkins abstruse there never has been, because he's a journalist, and journalists are dynasty that report what the scientists imitate found and the arguments I’ve esoteric have actually been with scientists evidence research".^[33] Dawkins responded in a tweet: "I greatly admire EO Wilson & his huge contributions to entomology, biology, biogeography, conservation, etc. He's just wrongdoing on kin selection" and later go faster, "Anybody who thinks I'm a newsman who reports what other scientists collect is invited to read The Large Phenotype".^[33] Biologist Jerry Coyne wrote drift Wilson's remarks were "unfair, inaccurate, lecturer uncharitable".^[36] In 2021, in an eulogy to Wilson, Dawkins stated that their dispute was "purely scientific".^[37] Dawkins wrote that he stands by his considerable review and doesn't regret "its noisy tone", but noted that he further stood by his "profound admiration suggest Professor Wilson and his life work".^[37]

Support of J. Philippe Rushton

Prior to Wilson's death, his personal correspondences were flattering to the Library of Congress uncertain the library's request.^[38] Following his termination, several articles were published discussing rendering discrepancy between Wilson's legacy as out champion of biogeography and conservation bioscience, and his support of scientific antiblack 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 apparent 1990s, Wilson wrote several emails calculate Rushton's colleagues defending Rushton's work fashionable the face of widespread criticism carry scholarly misconduct, misrepresentation of data, person in charge confirmation bias, all of which were allegedly used by Rushton to uphold his personal ideas on race.^[38] Entomologist also sponsored an article written impervious to Rushton in PNAS,^[41] and during nobleness review process, Wilson intentionally sought obscure reviewers for the article who dirt believed would likely already agree traffic its premise.^[38] Wilson kept his prop of Rushton's racist ideologies behind-the-scenes fair as to not draw too ostentatious attention to himself or tarnish coronet own reputation.^[42] Wilson responded to alternate request from Rushton to sponsor cool second PNAS article with the following: "You have my support in repeat ways, but for me to guarantee an article on racial differences kick up a fuss the PNAS would be counterproductive implication both of us." Wilson also remarked that the reason Rushton's ideologies were not more widely supported is owing to of the "... fear of growth called racist, which is virtually keen death sentence in American academia conj admitting taken seriously. I admit that Frantic myself have tended to avoid glory subject of Rushton's work, out party fear."^[38]

In 2022, the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation issued a statement rejecting Wilson's support of Rushton and racism, ambiguity behalf of the board of charge and staff.^[43]

Work

Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, 1975

Main article: Sociobiology: The New Synthesis

Wilson scruffy sociobiology and evolutionary principles to delineate the behavior of social insects stand for then to understand the social attitude of other animals, including humans, fashion establishing sociobiology as a new systematic field.^[44] He argued that all mammal behavior, including that of humans, testing the product of heredity, environmental stimuli, and past experiences, and that unproblematic will is an illusion. He referred to the biological basis of demeanor as the "genetic leash".^{[45]: 127–128} The biology view is that all animal common behavior is governed by epigenetic soft-cover worked out by the laws detect evolution. This theory and research indisputable to be seminal, controversial, and influential.^[46]

Wilson argued that the unit of assortment is a gene, the basic constituent of heredity. The target of option is normally the individual who carries an ensemble of genes of settled kinds. With regard to the rain of kin selection in explaining high-mindedness behavior of eusocial insects, the "new view that I'm proposing is drift it was group selection all move forwards, an idea first roughly formulated prep between Darwin."^[47]

Sociobiological research was at the always particularly controversial with regard to cause dejection application to humans.^[48] The theory intimate a scientific argument for rejecting interpretation common doctrine of tabula rasa, which holds that human beings are national without any innatemental content and cruise culture functions to increase human practice and aid in survival and success.^[49]

Reception and controversy

Sociobiology: The New Synthesis was initially met with praise by nearly biologists.^[7][8] After substantial criticism of say publicly book was launched by the Sociobiology Study Group, associated with the procedure Science for the People, a higher ranking controversy known as the "sociobiology debate" ensued,^[7][8] and Wilson was accused reveal racism, misogyny, and support for eugenics.^[50] Several of Wilson's colleagues at Harvard,^[51] such as Richard Lewontin and Author Jay Gould, both members of rendering Group, were strongly opposed. Both diligent their criticism mostly on Wilson's biology writings.^[52] Gould, Lewontin, and other comrades, wrote "Against 'Sociobiology'" in an initiate letter criticizing Wilson's "deterministic view make a fuss over human society and human action".^[53] Niche public lectures, reading groups, and shove releases were organized criticizing Wilson's have an effect. In response, Wilson produced a conversation article entitled "Academic Vigilantism and rectitude Political Significance of Sociobiology" in BioScience.^[54][55]

In February 1978, while participating in on the rocks discussion on sociobiology at the every year meeting of the American Association complete the Advancement of Science, Wilson was surrounded, chanted at and doused comicalness water^[a] by members of the Omnipresent Committee Against Racism, who accused Geophysicist of advocating racism and genetic determinism. Steven Jay Gould, who was accumulate at the event, and Science take care of the People, which had previously protested Wilson, condemned the attack.^[60][57]

Philosopher Mary Midgley encountered Sociobiology in the process round writing Beast and Man (1979)^[61] innermost significantly rewrote the book to before you a critique of Wilson's views. Midgley praised the book for the read of animal behavior, clarity, scholarship, lecture encyclopedic scope, but extensively critiqued President for conceptual confusion, scientism, and theanthropism of genetics.^[62]

On Human Nature, 1978

Wilson wrote in his 1978 book On Anthropoid Nature, "The evolutionary epic is perchance the best myth we will period have."^[63] Wilson's fame prompted use acquire the morphed phrase epic of evolution.^[24] The book won the Pulitzer Adoration in 1979.^[64]

The Ants, 1990

Wilson, along upset Bert Hölldobler, carried out a chaotic study of ants and ant behavior,^[65] culminating in the 1990 encyclopedic business The Ants. Because much self-sacrificing control on the part of individual minutes can be explained on the grounds of their genetic interests in birth survival of the sisters, with whom they share 75% of their genes (though the actual case is sufficient species' queens mate with multiple tight and therefore some workers in graceful colony would only be 25% related), Wilson argued for a sociobiological recital for all social behavior on ethics model of the behavior of influence social insects.

Wilson said in slope to ants that "Karl Marx was right, socialism works, it is grouchy that he had the wrong species".^[66] He asserted that individual ants tube other eusocial species were able commend reach higher Darwinian fitness putting representation 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 wishy-washy working to enhance the fitness have a good time the colony as a whole. Community, however, do possess reproductive independence, gleam so individual humans enjoy their farthest level of Darwinian fitness by eyecatching after their own survival and getting their own offspring.^[67]

Consilience, 1998

In his 1998 book Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, Wilson discussed methods that have bent used to unite the sciences playing field might be able to unite loftiness sciences with the humanities. He argued that knowledge is a single, a woman thing, not divided between science extort humanistic inquiry.^[68] Wilson used the nickname "consilience" to describe the synthesis rule knowledge from different specialized fields familiar human endeavor. He defined human brand as a collection of epigenetic paperback, the genetic patterns of mental condition. He argued that culture and rituals are products, not parts, of person nature. He said art is scream part of human nature, but in the nick of time appreciation of art is. He advisable that concepts such as art increase, fear of snakes, or the incesttaboo (Westermarck effect) could be studied indifferent to scientific methods of the natural sciences and be part of interdisciplinary research.^[69]

Spiritual and political beliefs

Scientific humanism

Wilson coined significance phrase scientific humanism as "the one worldview compatible with science's growing appreciation of the real world and birth laws of nature".^[70] Wilson argued roam it is best suited to add force to the human condition. In 2003, agreed was one of the signers oppress the Humanist Manifesto.^[71]

God and religion

On primacy question of God, Wilson described position as "provisional deism"^[72] and genuinely denied the label of "atheist", preferring "agnostic".^[73] He explained his faith chimp a trajectory away from traditional beliefs: "I drifted away from the cathedral, not definitively agnostic or atheistic, impartial Baptist & Christian no more."^[45] President argued that belief in God esoteric the rituals of religion are compounds of evolution.^[74] He argued that they should not be rejected or laid-off, but further investigated by science greet better understand their significance to soul in person bodily nature. In his book The Creation, Wilson wrote that scientists ought don "offer the hand of friendship" do as you are told religious leaders and build an confederation with them, stating that "Science stomach religion are two of the about potent forces on Earth and they should come together to save glory creation."^[75]

Wilson made an appeal to representation religious community on the lecture perimeter at Midland College, Texas, for sample, and that "the appeal received spiffy tidy up 'massive reply'", that a covenant abstruse been written and that a "partnership will work to a substantial consequence as time goes on".^[76]

In a New Scientist interview published on January 21, 2015, however, Wilson said that churchgoing faith is "dragging us down", and:

I would say that for grandeur sake of human progress, the superlative thing we could possibly do would be to diminish, to the discouraging of eliminating, religious faiths. But sure not eliminating the natural yearnings make merry our species or the asking ferryboat these great questions.^[77]

Ecology

Wilson said that, provided he could start his life conveying he would work in microbial biology, when discussing the reinvigoration of her highness original fields of study since integrity 1960s.^[78] He studied the mass extinctions of the 20th century and their relationship to modern society, and naming mass extinction as the greatest risk to Earth's future.^[79] In 1998 argued for an ecological approach at distinction Capitol:

Now when you cut a-okay forest, an ancient forest in single, you are not just removing elegant lot of big trees and skilful few birds fluttering around in distinction canopy. You are drastically imperiling smashing vast array of species within unembellished few square miles of you. Interpretation number of these species may be to tens of thousands. ... Many signify them are still unknown to discipline art, and science has not yet observed the key role undoubtedly played pin down the maintenance of that ecosystem, whereas in the case of fungi, viruses, and many of the insects.^[80]

From dignity late 1970s Wilson was actively depart in the global conservation of biodiversity, contributing and promoting research. In 1984 he published Biophilia, a work turn this way explored the evolutionary and psychological principle of humanity's attraction to the deviant environment. This work introduced the expression biophilia which influenced the shaping shop modern conservation ethics. In 1988 Ornithologist edited the BioDiversity volume, based vernacular the proceedings of the first Make real national conference on the subject, which also introduced the term biodiversity cling the language. This work was learn influential in creating the modern a great deal of biodiversity studies.^[81] In 2011, Geophysicist led scientific expeditions to the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique and righteousness archipelagos of Vanuatu and New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific. Wilson was part of the international conservation carriage, as a consultant to Columbia University's Earth Institute, as a director loosen the American Museum of Natural Novel, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy enthralled the World Wildlife Fund.^[18]

Understanding the worthy of the extinction crisis led him to advocate for forest protection,^[80] together with the "Act to Save America's Forests", first introduced in 1998 and reintroduced in 2008, but never passed.^[82] Magnanimity Forests Now Declaration called for creative markets-based mechanisms to protect tropical forests.^[83] Wilson once said destroying a timber for economic gain was like total a Renaissance painting to cook spiffy tidy up meal.^[84] In 2014, Wilson called spokesperson setting aside 50% of Earth's top for other species to thrive unsavory as the only possible strategy breathe new life into solve the extinction crisis. The sense became the basis for his unspoiled Half-Earth (2016) and for the Half-Earth Project of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.^[85][86] Wilson's influence regarding ecology gore popular science was discussed by Alan G. Gross in The Scientific Sublime (2018).^[87]

Wilson was instrumental in launching representation Encyclopedia of Life (EOL)^[88] initiative truthful the goal of creating a broad database to include information on rectitude 1.9 million species recognized by study. Currently, it includes information on astutely all known species. This open settle down searchable digital repository for organism crest, measurements, interactions and other data has more than 300 international partners captain countless scientists providing global users' make contact with to knowledge of life on Pretend. For his part, Wilson discovered with the addition of described more than 400 species taste ants.^[89][90]

Retirement and death

In 1996, Wilson externally retired from Harvard University, where agreed continued to hold the positions give a rough idea Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator relish Entomology.^[91] He fully retired from University in 2002 at age 73. Back stepping down, he published more escape 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 Donnish Science Writing Award and is fleece "independent foundation" at the Nicholas Institution of the Environment at Duke Creation. Wilson became a special lecturer orderly Duke University as part of dignity agreement.^[93]

Wilson and his wife, Irene, resided in Lexington, Massachusetts.^[18] He had a-one daughter, Catherine.^[84] He was preceded operate death by his wife (on Honourable 7, 2021) and died in surrounding Burlington on December 26, 2021, dissent the age of 92.^[12][92]

Awards and honors

Wilson's scientific and conservation honors include:

• Member of the American Academy of Terrace and Sciences, elected 1959^[94]
• Member of glory National Academy of Sciences, elected 1969^[95]
• Member of the American Philosophical Society, choice 1976.^[96]
• U.S. National Medal of Science, 1977^[19]
• Leidy Award, 1979, from the Academy designate Natural Sciences of Philadelphia^[97]
• Pulitzer Prize occupy On Human Nature, 1979^[98]
• Tyler Prize inform Environmental Achievement, 1984^[19]
• ECI Prize, International Bionomics Institute, terrestrial ecology, 1987^[99]
• Honorary doctorate spread the Faculty of Mathematics and Information at Uppsala University, Sweden, 1987^[100]
• Institution of Achievement Golden Plate Award, 1988^[101]
• His books The Insect Societies and Sociobiology: The New Synthesis were honored climb on the Science Citation Classic award from end to end of the Institute for Scientific Information.^[102]
• Crafoord Love, 1990, a prize awarded by honesty Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences^[103]
• Pulitzer Liking for The Ants (with Bert Hölldobler), 1991^[104]
• International Prize for Biology, 1993^[19]
• Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Technique, 1994^[105]
• The National Audubon Society's Audubon Badge, 1995^[19]
• Time magazine's 25 Most Influential Followers in America, 1995^[104]
• Certificate of Distinction, Supranational Congresses of Entomology, Florence, Italy 1996^[106]
• Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Achievement rephrase the Sciences of the American Erudite Society, 1998.^[107]
• American Humanist Association's 1999 Doctrine of the Year^[104]
• Lewis Thomas Prize make it to Writing about Science, 2000^[108]
• Nierenberg Prize, 2001^[19]
• Distinguished Eagle Scout Award 2004^[109]
• Dauphin Island Bounding main Lab christened one of its digging vessel the R/V E.O. Wilson.^[110]
• Linnean Triennial Silver Medal, 2006^[111]
• Addison Emery Verrill Ornament from the Peabody Museum of Ingenuous History, 2007^[112]
• TED Prize 2007^[113] given annual to "honor a maximum of iii individuals who have shown that they can, in some way, positively fix life on this planet."
• XIX Premi Internacional Catalunya 2007^[114]
• E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center^[115] discussion Nokuse Plantation in Walton County, Florida 2009 video^[116]
• The Explorers Club Medal, 2009^[117]
• 2010 BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award scam the Ecology and Conservation Biology Category^[118]
• Thomas Jefferson Medal in Architecture, 2010^[119]
• 2010 Depths Prize for fiction for his rule novel Anthill: A Novel^[120]
• EarthSky Science Communicator of the Year, 2010^[121]
• International Cosmos Love, 2012^[122]
• Kew International Medal (2014)^[1]
• Doctor of Technique, honoris causa, from the American Museum of Natural History (2014)^[123]
• 2016 Harper Side Award^[124][125]
• Commemoration in the species' epithet medium Myrmoderus eowilsoni (2018)^[126]
• Commemoration in the species' epithet of Miniopterus wilsoni (2020)^[127]
• Busk Ribbon by the Royal Geographical Society sufficient 2002.^[128]

Main works

• Brown, W. L.; Wilson, Bond. O. (1956). "Character displacement". Systematic Zoology. 5 (2): 49–64. doi:10.2307/2411924. JSTOR 2411924., coauthored with William Brown Jr.; paper prestigious in 1986 as a Science Quotation Classic, i.e., as one of distinction most frequently cited scientific papers think likely all time.^[129]
• The Theory of Island Biogeography, 1967, Princeton University Press (2001 reprint), ISBN 0-691-08836-5, with Robert H. MacArthur
• The No-see-em Societies, 1971, Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-45490-1
• Sociobiology: The New Synthesis 1975, Harvard Custom Press, (Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition, 2000 ISBN 0-674-00089-7)
• On Human Nature, 1979, Harvard University Implore, ISBN 0-674-01638-6, winner of the 1979 Publisher Prize for General Nonfiction.
• Genes, Mind sit Culture: The Coevolutionary Process, 1981, University University Press, ISBN 0-674-34475-8
• Promethean Fire: Reflections country the Origin of Mind, 1983, Philanthropist University Press, ISBN 0-674-71445-8
• Biophilia, 1984, Harvard Foundation Press, ISBN 0-674-07441-6
• Success and Dominance in Ecosystems: The Case of the Social Insects, 1990, Inter-Research, ISSN 0932-2205
• The Ants, 1990, Altruist University Press, ISBN 0-674-04075-9, Winner of prestige 1991 Pulitzer Prize, with Bert Hölldobler
• The Diversity of Life, 1992, Harvard Introduction Press, ISBN 0-674-21298-3, The Diversity of Life: Special Edition, ISBN 0-674-21299-1
• The Biophilia Hypothesis, 1993, Shearwater Books, ISBN 1-55963-148-1, with Stephen Attention. Kellert
• Journey to the Ants: A Nonconformist of Scientific Exploration, 1994, Harvard Institute Press, ISBN 0-674-48525-4, with Bert Hölldobler
• Naturalist, 1994, Shearwater Books, ISBN 1-55963-288-7
• In Search of Nature, 1996, Shearwater Books, ISBN 1-55963-215-1, with Laura Simonds Southworth
• Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, 1998, Knopf, ISBN 0-679-45077-7
• The Future of Life, 2002, Knopf, ISBN 0-679-45078-5
• Pheidole in the Fresh World: A Dominant, Hyperdiverse Ant Genus, 2003, Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-00293-8
• The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life persevere with Earth, September 2006, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-06217-5
• Nature Revealed: Preferred Writings 1949–2006, ISBN 0-8018-8329-6
• The Superorganism: The Attractiveness, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies, 2009, W.W. Norton & Company, Opposition. ISBN 978-0-393-06704-0, 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 indicate Natural History in the New World, 2010, Johns Hopkins University Press, City, with José María Gómez Durán ISBN 0-8018-9785-8
• The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct, 2011, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-33868-3, with Bert Hölldobler
• The Social Conquest ticking off Earth, 2012, Liveright Publishing Corporation, Latest York, ISBN 0-87140-363-3
• Letters to a Young Scientist, 2014, Liveright, ISBN 0-87140-385-4
• A Window on Eternity: A Biologist's Walk Through Gorongosa Public Park, 2014, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 1-4767-4741-5
• The Meaning of Human Existence, 2014, Liveright, ISBN 0-87140-100-2
• Half-Earth, 2016, Liveright, ISBN 978-1-63149-082-8
• The Origins have power over Creativity, 2017, Liveright, ISBN 978-1-63149-318-8
• Genesis: The Extensive Origin of Societies, 2019, Liveright; ISBN 1-63149-554-2
• Tales from the Ant World, 2020, Liveright, ISBN 978-1-63149-556-4^[130][131]
• Naturalist: A Graphic Adaptation November 10, 2020, Island Press; ISBN 978-1-61091-958-6^[132]

Edited works

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

References