Wilson, Edward Osborne (1929-...), is an American biologist known for his contributions to the study of animal societies. Wilson helped found the field of sociobiology, which studies the biological basis for the social behavior of animals. He argued that genes (hereditary material) heavily influence how species behave. Wilson made extensive studies of the social behavior of ants. He observed ant populations worldwide, discovering hundreds of new species. His work with ants also led him to learn how geography, or natural surroundings, plays a role in the formation of species. These and other findings by Wilson helped advance biogeography, the science of the distribution of living things.