Sociobiology: the new synthesis facts for kids

Sociobiology: The New Synthesis is a famous book written by E.O. Wilson. It was published in 1975 and helped start a big discussion in science. This discussion is known as the sociobiology debate.

In this book, Wilson made the word "sociobiology" very popular. He used it to explain how certain behaviors in animals, like being helpful (altruism) or aggressive, might have developed over time through evolution. He also looked at how much of our behavior comes from our genes (nature) versus what we learn from our environment (nurture).

The main ideas of sociobiology are:

• An animal's success in evolution is measured by how many of its genes are passed on to the next generation.
• This idea applies to how an animal acts and how it lives in groups, just like it applies to its body.

The book was first printed in 1975 and then again in 1976. A special edition was released in 2000 to celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary.

Related Topics

• Adaptive unconscious
• Blank slate
• Evolutionary psychology
• Human nature
• Nature vs nurture
• Sociobiology