sociobiology

American  

[soh-see-oh-bahy-ol-uh-jee, soh-shee-] / ˌsoʊ si oʊ baɪˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌsoʊ ʃi- /

noun

1. the study of social behavior in animals with emphasis on the role of behavior in survival and reproduction, engaging branches of ethology, population genetics, and ecology.

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sociobiology British  

/ ˌsəʊsɪəʊbaɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of social behaviour in animals and humans, esp in relation to its survival value and evolutionary origins

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sociobiology Scientific  

/ sō′sē-ō-bī-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of the biological basis of the social behavior of animals, based on the theory that such behavior is often genetically determined and that the genes governing this behavior are subject to the usual mechanisms of evolution. Sociobiology posits that an animal will normally behave in ways that will increase the survival of its genes in the gene pool, either by increasing its own reproductive success or the reproductive success of an individual or group that is closely related and thus shares some of the organism's genes. Sociobiologists seek to find explanations for animal behaviors such as aggression and altruism in relation to the survival of the animal's genes.

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sociobiology Cultural  

1. An area of inquiry in biology, still somewhat controversial but gaining wider acceptance. Its central tenet is that many human behavioral and social traits are genetically inherited and are thus determined by genetic makeup and not culture.

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Discover More

Sociobiology is on the “nature” side in the nature-nurture controversy.

Other Word Forms

• sociobiological adjective
• sociobiologically adverb
• sociobiologist noun

Etymology

Origin of sociobiology

First recorded in 1945–50; socio- + biology

Example Sentences

"Whether it can even be published in this or some other journal devoted to human sociobiology," Wilson wrote later in his comments, "will be a test of our courage and fidelity to objectivity in science."

From Salon

But Wilson's ideas inspired other researchers, and although still somewhat controversial, sociobiology today “is a major thrust of both evolution and behavioral ecology,” Simberloff says.

From Science Magazine

Dr. Wilson and like-minded colleagues came to refer to this project by a word that had been floating around the animal-behavior world since the 1950s: sociobiology.

From New York Times

Of his many accomplishments in evolutionary biology, his biggest contribution was probably in the new scientific field of sociobiology, in which he addressed the biological basis of social behavior in animals, including humans.

From Washington Post

Wilson’s sociobiology theories transformed the field of biology and reignited the nature vs. nurture debate among scientists.

From Seattle Times