Robert Trivers
Robert Trivers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Ludlow Trivers February 19, 1943 Washington, D.C., United States |
| Died | March 12, 2026 (aged 83) |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Known for | Evolutionary biology, Animal behavior, Sociobiology |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 5 |
| Awards | Crafoord Prize (2007) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biology |
| Institutions | Rutgers University |
| Thesis | Natural Selection and Social Behavior (1972) |
| Doctoral advisor | Ernest Williams |
| Website | roberttrivers |
Robert Ludlow "Bob" Trivers (/ˈtrɪvərz/; born February 19, 1943; died March 12, 2026) is an American evolutionary biologist and sociobiologist who profoundly influenced both fields. Trivers proposed the theories of reciprocal altruism (1971), parental investment (1972), facultative sex ratio determination (1973), and parent–offspring conflict (1974). He has also contributed by explaining self-deception as an adaptive evolutionary strategy (first described in 1976) and discussing intragenomic conflict.
Some of Trivers' work was funded by Jeffrey Epstein, and Trivers later defended the convicted criminal's reputation. In 2015 he was suspended from Rutgers University after he refused to teach an assigned course.