George C. Williams facts for kids

George Christopher Williams (born May 12, 1926 – died September 8, 2010) was an important American scientist. He studied how living things change over time, a field called evolutionary biology.

Williams was a professor of biology at Stony Brook University. He was famous for his ideas about natural selection. He helped develop the idea that evolution is mostly about genes and how they pass on. In 1999, he won the Crafoord Prize for his work in evolutionary biology.

Understanding Evolution: George Williams' Ideas

George Williams made big contributions to how we understand evolution. He helped explain how traits develop and change in living things.

Why We Age: Williams' Theory

In 1957, Williams wrote an important paper about aging. He suggested that aging happens in a way that is "synchronized" by natural selection. This means that different parts of our bodies tend to age at similar rates.

He believed that if one part of the body started to fail too early, natural selection would work to fix that. This is because natural selection always tries to remove traits that are harmful.

Grandparents and Genes

Williams also thought about why females might stop having babies later in life, a process called menopause. He suggested that this might be helpful for passing on genes.

Even after women stop having their own children, they can help their grandchildren survive. By helping their grandchildren, grandparents help pass on some of their own genes. This idea shows how families can help spread their genes through generations.

Genes and Natural Selection

Williams wrote a book called Adaptation and Natural Selection. In it, he said that we should be careful when we say something is an "adaptation." An adaptation is a trait that helps an organism survive.

He believed that most adaptations happen because of selection at the level of genes or individual organisms. This idea helped create the "gene-centered view" of evolution. This means that genes are the main things that natural selection acts on. The famous scientist Richard Dawkins built on Williams' ideas in his book The Selfish Gene.

Williams also supported the idea of evolutionary medicine. This field looks at how evolution can help us understand why we get sick.

Books by George Williams

• Williams G.C. 1966. Adaptation and natural Selection. This book explains how traits develop and change.
• Williams G.C., ed. 1971. Group selection. This book looks at whether groups of animals can evolve together.
• Williams G.C. 1975. Sex and evolution. This book explores how sex affects evolution.
• Williams G.C. 1992. Natural selection: domains, levels, and challenges. This book discusses different ways natural selection works.
• Nesse R.M. and G.C. Williams. 1994. Why we get sick: the new science of Darwinian medicine. This book explains how evolution affects our health.
• Williams G.C. 1996. Plan and purpose in nature. This book explores the idea of purpose in nature.

See also

In Spanish: George Williams (desambiguación) para niños