The Diversity of Life

Biodiversity is defined as the variety of living organisms and the biological systems in which they live. Its study branches out into that of species, habitats, and the genes that determine biological characteristics.

The first person to discuss biodiversity was Edward O. Wilson, an American biologist famed for his research into the world of ants. In his book The Diversity of Life, he uses all the major scientific theories to answer the biggest questions on the subject: why is there such great diversity in nature? Where does it originate? What do we know about it?

Since he coined the term in the 1980s, the word biodiversity has come into common use, particularly due to the increasing focus on ecological awareness and environmental sustainability. Research has made giant leaps forward, but we are still a long way from being able to claim we have a solid understanding of how biological systems function. Wilson thus seeks to review the current state of our knowledge.

The study of biodiversity has evolved thanks to some essential steps: the birth of species classification, known as taxonomy, pioneered by Carl Linnaeus; the elaboration of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution; and the study of genes and chromosomes. Thanks to this knowledge, it is possible to define biodiversity as the product of two parallel effects. Microevolution operates on a small scale, at the cellular level. It is a genetic issue, such as the existence of blue eyes. Macroevolution, on the other hand, primarily concerns geographical factors and is the result of extremely lengthy processes.