George C. Williams

Dr. George C. Williams was an influential American evolutionary biologist whose rigorous theoretical work shaped modern evolutionary theory. Serving as a professor at Stony Brook University, he was a central figure in the adaptationist paradigm.

He is best known as the author of the landmark 1966 book Adaptation and Natural Selection, which rigorously defended group selection skepticism and established gene-centric evolutionary biology. He also co-authored Why We Get Sick with Randolph M. Nesse.

Williams’s foundational contributions earned him Crafoord Prize honors and deeply influenced Richard Dawkins and other evolutionary biologists. His legacy remains a cornerstone of modern evolutionary science.