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Mr. Edward Osborne Wilson is an American biologist, author, naturalist and theorist. His biological study of ants is his specialty which is called myrmecology. It is said that he is the world’s leading expert on this subject matter. Mr. Edward Osborne Wilson was born June 10, 1929 in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended the University of Alabama and earned his B.S. and M.S. degree in biology in 1950. In 1952 he then attended Harvard University in his continued research. There he was selected to the Harvard Society of Fellows and could travel on overseas expeditions gathering various type of ant species of Mexico, Cuba and travel the South Pacific, New Guinea, Fiji, Australia, Sri Lanka and Caledonia.
In 1955 he then received his Ph.D.
Furthermore, from 1956 until 1996 Mr. Wilson remained part of the faculty at Harvard University. He started as an ant taxonomist and then worked toward understanding their evolution and how they evolved into new species by escaping environmental deficits and moving into new habitats.
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He developed a theory of the “taxon cycle.” In biology, a taxon (from taxonomy) is a group of one or several populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. It is not a requirement, but a taxon is usually known by a particular name and given a certain ranking of order when it is accepted or soon becomes official as in established.
Taxonomists must monitor what belongs to a taxon and the criteria used for inclusion. Now if a taxon is given a prior scientific name, the use of it is then ruled by one of the nomenclature codes signaling which scientific name is correct for a certain grouping.
Wilson used sociobiology and evolutionary standards to expound on the behavior of social insects and understanding the social behavior of humans. He established sociobiology as the new scientific field. A very interesting point he made is that, he argued that all animal behavior and humans, is the derivative of heredity, environmental stimuli, past experiences, and that free will is an illusion. He has stated an analogy such as; “the biological basis of behavior is the genetic leash.” His sociological view on animals is that, “all animal social behavior is controlled epigenetic rules worked out by the laws of evolution. Epignetic, meaning the study of heritable phenotype changes that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence.
Now many of the statements, theories, and ideas of Mr. Wilson’s proved to be influential and controversial. He has expressed that the unit of selection is a gene, the basic element of heredity. Unit of selection, meaning a biological entity within the hierarchy of biological organization; a gene, a cell, self replicating molecule, an organism, a group or a species that is subject to natural selection. Altogether, there are relative importance of the units. For example, is it group or individual selection that has led the evolution of Altruism. Altruism, meaning the principle and moral practice of concern for happiness of other human beings or animals and as a result rendering a quality of life on various levels whether it be material or spiritual.
Some useful introductions to the fundamental theory concerning the unit of selection and debate of which also present demonstrations of multi-level selection from the entire biological diaspora at level N-1 competing for increased representation, higher frequency, at the higher-level N, e.g., organisms in populations or also cell lineages of organisms. Others who are astute on the subject matter adds to this vast subject matter are Richard Lewontin’s of a classic piece; The Unit of Selection. John Mynard-Smith and Eors Szathmary’s co-authored book; The Major Transition in Evolution. Mr. Lewontin writes: “The generality of the principles of natural selection means that any entities in nature that have variation, reproduction, and heritability may evolve the principles can be applied equally to genes, organisms, populations, species, and at opposite ends of the scale, prebiotic molecules and ecosystems.” (1970, pp.1-2). Wilson and Bert Holldobler, who is a German sociobiologist and evolutionary biologist who studies evolution and social organization in ants, has co-authored a book entitled “The Ants”. As expressed therein, because much self-sacrificing behavior based on their genetic importance in the survival of the sisters who they share 75% of their genes (but the specific case is that some species queens’ mate with multiple males and some workers in a colony would only be 25% related). Wilson argued for a sociobiological explanation for all social behavior of the social insects.
In reference to ants, Wilson has said that Karl Marx who was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist and social revolutionary, was right. socialism works, but it’s just that he got the species wrong. He meant that while ants and other eusocial species (eusocial meaning, “good” and the highest level of organization of animal sociality) appear to live in communist-like societies, they only do so because they are forced to do so from basic biology, as they lack reproductive independence. Worker ants being sterile do need their ant-queen in order to survive as a colony and a species, and individual ants cannot reproduce without a queen and are subsequently forced to live in centralized societies. Ants are important components of ecosystems not only because they make up a large part of the animal biomass, but henceforth because they act as ecosystem engineers due to their genetic nature. Ant biodiversity is incredibly high and they are highly responsive to human impact that subsequently reduces its quality. Ants play a significant role below ground in processes through the alteration of chemical, the physical environment and through their effects on plants, microorganisms, as well as other soil organisms. Pollution is a serious factor which is a huge detriment to species of insects, animals and humans.
Any chemical, substance or combustion that is unnatural and a toxic by-product of waste or other, is a contributing factor to decreased biodiversity living organic entities. Big commercial industrial industries, and other factors has caused the demise of various species. All this is due to manufacturing processes of toxic substances and destroying natural habitat environments of various species who need their natural environment to survive. The decrease of biodiversity is caused also by trees being cut down in the forest. And when this happens hundreds of species are affected, stressed for survival and without proper food source thus, many of them die! There is a dwindling of many species from bees, fish, whales, ants to polar bears and birds.
Animals are running out of time and space desperately trying to survive and weather their current storm of circumstance due to human factors in participation overall. In conclusion, what we as humans fail to realize, is that all groups of special living on planet earth including humans, are affected by the death blows of unnatural environmental changes as well. We must all take an initiative of interest in saving our planet and protecting all species in order to live on it, live in its waters, trees, and above its atmospheric surface. Provided that we do this, we can insure a better quality of life for all!
Biodiversity: Importance and Conservation. (2022, Apr 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/biodiversity-importance-and-conservation-essay
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