E.O. Wilson, naturalist dubbed a modern-day Darwin, dies at 92
Send a link to a friend
 [December 27, 2021]
By Kanupriya Kapoor
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Edward O. Wilson, a
U.S. naturalist dubbed the "modern-day Darwin" died on Sunday at the age
of 92 in Massachusetts, his foundation said in a statement.
Alongside British naturalist David Attenborough, Wilson was considered
one of the world's leading authorities on natural history and
conservation.
Wilson's Half-Earth Project calls for protecting half the planet's land
and sea so there are enough diverse and well-connected ecosystems to
reverse the course of species extinction, which is happening at a rate
not seen in 10 million years.
The United Nations has urged countries to commit to conserving 30% of
their land and water – almost double the area now under some form of
protection - by 2030, a target known as "30 by 30" and inspired in part
by Wilson.
Born in the southern U.S. state of Alabama, Wilson's trajectory as an
entomologist, someone who studies insects, was set at the age of 10,
when he spent hours in the woods collecting bugs and butterflies.
[to top of second column]
|
American biologist E.O. Wilson poses for a portrait in Lexington,
Massachusetts, U.S., October 21, 2021. Picture taken October 21,
2021. REUTERS/Gretchen Ertl/File Photo
 He went on to spend 70 years as a
scientist at Harvard University, putting in time as a professor and
curator in entomology. Through his career, Wilson discovered more
than 400 species of ants. He said one of his greatest achievements
was working out how ants communicate danger and food trails, for
example, by emitting chemicals.
Wilson attracted controversy when his 1975 book "Sociobiology: the
New Synthesis" was interpreted by some scientists as implying that
human behaviours like altruism or hostility are determined by genes,
or "nature", rather than environment, or "nurture". Critics at the
time decried the theory as carrying echoes of eugenics.
He had been living in a retirement community in the northeastern
United States and had recently published the latest in a long series
of books on biodiversity.
(Editing by Robert Birsel and Christian Schmollinger)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
