Robert Ludlow 'Bob' Trivers, born on February 19, 1943, is an American evolutionary biologist and sociobiologist renowned for his pioneering theories in social evolution. Growing up in a diplomatic household—his father, Howard Trivers, was a lawyer who worked on denazification regulations during World War II and later joined the State Department, while his mother was a homemaker encouraging academic pursuits—he attended schools in Berlin, Copenhagen, and Washington D.C., followed by Phillips Academy in Massachusetts. He then studied American history and literature at Harvard University before switching to biology. Trivers proposed foundational theories including reciprocal altruism (1971), parental investment (1972), facultative sex ratio determination (1973), and parent-offspring conflict (1974), and has explored self-deception as an adaptive strategy and intragenomic conflict. Trivers has held positions as a psychologist, university teacher, and biologist, contributing significantly to sociobiology by explaining cooperation and conflict in animal and human behavior. His work forms the basis for much of sociobiology research, as recognized by the National Academy of Sciences. He authored books such as 'Wild Life: Adventures of an Evolutionary Biologist,' 'The Folly of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life,' 'Social Evolution, Natural Selection and Social Theory: Selected Papers,' and co-authored 'Genes in Conflict' with Austin Burt. Known for his bold critiques, including of opponents like Richard Lewontin at Harvard, Trivers has overcome early diplomatic upbringing challenges to become a key figure in evolutionary theory since Charles Darwin.