E. O. Wilson

Edward Osborne Wilson (1929–2021) was an American biologist and naturalist renowned for his research on ants and for shaping modern understanding of biodiversity. A longtime professor at Harvard University, he helped found the field of sociobiology and advanced the study of how social behavior can be examined through evolutionary biology. Wilson also championed conservation, popularizing the concept of biodiversity and warning about species loss. He wrote influential books for general readers, including *Sociobiology: The New Synthesis* (1975) and *The Ants* (1990, with Bert Hölldobler), and received major honors such as two Pulitzer Prizes.