In the end ... success or failure will come down to an ethical decision, one on which those now living will be judged for generations to come.

Ants have the most complicated social organization on earth next to humans.

Individual versus group selection results in a mix of altruism and selfishness, of virtue and sin, among the members of a society.

I had in mind a message, although I hope it doesn't intrude too badly, persuading Americans, and especially Southerners, of the critical importance of land and our vanishing natural environment and wildlife.

Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled my energies and drove me in new directions.

When you get into the whole field of exploring, probably 90 percent of the kinds of organisms, plants, animals and especially microorganisms and tiny invertebrate animals are unknown. Then you realize that we live on a relatively unexplored plan.

People respect nonfiction but they read novels.