Which English biologist wrote 'The Selfish Gene'?

The English biologist who wrote The Selfish Gene was Richard Dawkins. First published by Oxford University Press in 1976, the book popularized a gene-centered view of evolution for a broad readership.

Dawkins argued that natural selection can be understood through the survival and replication of genes, which he called replicators. Organisms are often described as “vehicles” that help genes persist and spread. The title is metaphorical: genes are not conscious or selfish in a human sense, but gene variants that promote their own transmission can become more common over generations.

The book drew on earlier work by evolutionary biologists including W. D. Hamilton and George C. Williams, especially ideas about kin selection and adaptation. It also introduced the word “meme” for a unit of cultural transmission analogous to a gene, helping launch later discussion of memetics.

A common mistake is attributing the book to another prominent evolutionist, such as Stephen Jay Gould or E. O. Wilson. Both influenced evolutionary thought, but Dawkins wrote The Selfish Gene. He later developed related ideas in The Extended Phenotype, published in 1982.