A research paper on the ecological associations and evolutionary adaptations of tarantulas has won the 2024 E.O. Wilson Research Prize.
The award-winning research from 2024 is titled “An extensive review of mutualistic and similar ecological associations involving tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae), with a new hypothesis on the evolution of their hirsuteness),” authored by Alireza Zamani from the University of Turku, independent researcher Rick C. West, and William W. Lamar from the University of Texas
This research provides an extensive review of the ecological relationships between tarantulas and other animals, and proposes a new hypothesis regarding the evolutionary function of tarantula hairiness, as a potential defence mechanism against predatory ants.
This hypothesis and the results of supporting field experiments were first shared with E. O. Wilson, after whom the prize is named, in April 1996. He expressed his support for the hypothesis.
“The main ideas presented in this research are primarily supported by direct observations of species interactions in their natural environments, much like the work of E.O. Wilson himself and classical naturalists before him. It shows how important such field-based contributions still are to modern ecology and evolutionary biology, even though they are becoming increasingly rare,” Zamani says.
The prize is awarded by the Journal of Natural History, an international zoological journal that publishes original research and reviews in systematics, evolutionary biology, and ecology. Since 2020, the journal has honored excellence in natural history research by annually awarding the E.O. Wilson Research Prize to the most outstanding paper published in the previous year.
The prize honors Edward O. Wilson (1929–2021), one of the most prominent biologists of the last century, renowned for his pioneering contributions to our understanding of human-environment interactions. Often called the “modern-day Darwin” and widely regarded as the father of sociobiology—a field that studies the biological basis of social behavior—Wilson's work continues to shape modern biology, conservation and biodiversity protection.
