Who is known as the 'father of sociobiology'?

• A. E.O. Wilson
• B. Charles Darwin
• C. Alfred Russel Wallace
• D. Jane Goodall

Answer: (A)

Sociobiology looks at how evolutionary processes shape social behavior across species, linking genetics, ecology, and behavior. The scientist who coined and popularized this field is E. O. Wilson, and his work established a unifying framework for studying how natural selection influences social traits—from insect societies to human interactions. His landmark book, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, argued that many social behaviors have evolutionary origins and can be understood through biology, not just culture. Because of this foundational role in naming and shaping the discipline, he is widely known as the father of sociobiology. Darwin and Wallace are central to the theory of natural selection, but not to sociobiology as a field, and Jane Goodall is renowned for her primatology studies rather than founding sociobiology.