Edward Osborne Wilson was born on June 10, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Inez and Edward Wilson. He spent his childhood both in the vicinity of Washington, D.C., and in the countryside near Mobile, Alabama, primarily raised by his father and stepmother.
After completing high school, Wilson planned to pursue higher education. However, due to financial challenges, he attempted to enlist in the United States Army to secure financial aid. His application was unsuccessful because of impaired vision, which caused him to fail the Army medical examination.
In the 1940s, Wilson enrolled at the University of Alabama, where he earned a B.S. degree in biology. He continued at the same institution and received his M.S. degree in 1950. In 1952, Wilson began doctoral studies at Harvard University. As a fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows, he participated in extensive overseas fieldwork, traveling to Cuba, Mexico, Australia, New Guinea, Fiji, New Caledonia, and Sri Lanka. He completed his Ph.D. in 1955.
Following his doctoral studies, Wilson joined the faculty at Harvard in 1956, where he remained for nearly 40 years. He began his academic career focusing on ant taxonomy and later expanded his research into ant evolution and ecology. His innovative theory known as the "taxon cycle" explored the dynamic changes in species distribution and ecological roles over time.
During the mid-1960s, Wilson collaborated with mathematician Robert MacArthur on biogeographical research. Together, they tested the theory of island biogeography on the Florida Keys, proposing the concept of species equilibrium through colonization and extinction dynamics. This work became foundational in the field of ecology and conservation biology.
Wilson gained international recognition through his seminal publications. Among his most notable works are The Insect Societies (1971) and Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975). The latter established Wilson as a key figure in the development of sociobiology, a field linking biological principles to social behavior, especially in animals and humans.
In 1978, he published On Human Nature, which delved into human evolution and behavior. The book earned him his first Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. He received a second Pulitzer in 1991 alongside Bert Hölldobler for their book The Ants, a comprehensive study on ant biology and behavior.
| Birth Date: | 10 Jun, 1929 |
| Age: | 90 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Birmingham |
| Education: | Harvard University University of Alabama |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | U.S. biologist and author |
| Net Worth 2021: | 1.7 million |
