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Dr. Rodolfo Jaffé

Rodolfo Jaffé

Rodolfo Jaffé

Dr. Jaffé has left our group in August 2009.

Research Interests

I am interested in sexual selection, social evolution, the evolution of insect mating systems and the conservation of bees. During my PhD I used a variety of genetic and computing techniques to address different aspects of army ant and honeybee biology. I first tested for the existence of a genetic component on worker caste determination, and assessed the impact of dispersal and multiple mating on gene flow in the New World army ant Eciton burchellii. Seeking to gain a deeper insight into the effect of dispersal on gene flow, I then studied the temporal dynamics of wild African honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata). Within the framework of the BEESHOP European network I measured the density of honeybee colonies throughout Europe and Africa, and reviewed the conservation status of European honeybees.

Curriculum vitae

Personal Information

  • Birth: Caracas, October 13th 1980
  • Citizenship: Venezuelan

Education

  • 2006-2009: PhD. at the Martin-​Luther-​Universität, Halle-​Wittemberg, Germany. Dissertation Thesis concerned with "The evolution of mating systems in highly eusocial Hymenoptera", supervised by Prof. Dr. Robin F.​A. Moritz. Founded by the BEESHOP network.
  • 2006-2005: MSc. in Molecular Ecology at the Martin-​Luther-​University, Halle-​Wittenberg, Germany. Dissertation Thesis concerned with "Genetic basis for worker caste determination in the New World army ant Eciton burchellii", supervised by Prof. Dr. Robin F.​A. Moritz. Awarded with a DAAD-​FUNDAYACUCHO scholarship.
  • 2004-1998: Licentiature in Biology at the Universidad Simón Bolívar   , Caracas, Venezuela. Dissertation Thesis concerned with "Growth rate, locomotive performance and behavior of juvenile Amazon Turtles (Podocnemis expansa)", supervised by Dr. Guillermo Barreto. Partially founded by Lincoln Park and the Universidad Simón Bolívar.

Courses and Internships

Publications (2006-2009)

Peer-​reviewed articles

  • Jaffé R, Dietemann V, Allsopp MH, Costa C, Crewe RM, Dall'Olio R, De la Rúa P, El-​Niweiri MAA, Fries I, Kezic N, Meusel MS, Paxton RJ, Shaibi T, Stolle E and Moritz RFA (2009) Estimating the density of honeybee colonies across their natural range to fill the gap in pollinator decline censuses. Conservation Biology, in press.
  • De la Rúa P, Jaffé R, Dall 'Olio R, Muñoz I and Serrano J (2009): Biodiversity, conservation and current threats to European honeybees. Apidologie 40: 263-284.
  • Jaffé R, Dietemann V, Crewe RM, Moritz RFA (2009): Temporal variation in the genetic structure of a drone congregation area: An insight into the population dynamics of wild African honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata). Molecular Ecology 18 (7): 1511-1522
  • Jaffé R, Moritz RFA, Kraus FB (2009): Gene flow is maintained by polyandry and male dispersal in the army ant Eciton burchellii. Population Ecology 51: 227-236
  • Jaffé R, Peñaloza C, Barreto G (2008): Monitoring an endangered fresh water turtle management program: Effects of nest relocation on growth and locomotive performance of juveniles of the Giant South American Turtle (Podocnemis expansa: Podocnemididae). Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 7 (2): 213-222.
  • Barrantes G, Sánchez C, Hilje B, Jaffé R (2008): Male song variation of Green Violetear (Colibri thalassinus) in the Talamanca Mountain Range, Costa Rica. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 120 (3): 519-524.
  • Gianoli E, Sendoya S, Vargas F, Mejía P, Jaffé R, Rodríguez M, Gutiérrez A (2008): Patterns of Azteca ants defence of Cecropia trees in a tropical rainforest: support for optimal defence theory. Ecological Research, 23 (5): 905-908.
  • Jaffé K, Horchler P, Verhaagh M, Gomez C, Sievert R, Jaffé R, Morawetz W (2007): Comparing the ant fauna in a tropical and a temperate forest canopy. Ecotropicos, 20(2): 74-81.
  • Jaffé R, Kronauer K, Kraus FB, Boomsma J, Moritz RFA (2007): Worker caste determination in the army ant Eciton burchellii. Biology Letters 3(5): 513-516.
  • Jaffé R, Eberhard W, De Angelo C, Eusse D, Gutierrez A, Quijas S, Rodríguez A, Rodríguez M (2006): Caution webs in the way! Possible functions of silk stabilimenta in Gasteracantha cancriformis (Araneae: Araneidae). Journal of Arachnology, 34(2): 448-455.

Popular articles and book chapters

  • Jaffé R, Moritz RFA (2009): Beekeeping and the conservation of native honeybees in Europe. In: Atlas of Biodiversity Risks: From Europe to the Globe and from Stories to Maps. ALARM Project.
  • Jaffé R, Wolf S, Moritz RFA (2008): Bees in Europe and Sustainable Honey Production (BEESHOP): A European Research Network. Bee Improvement and Conservation Magazine, 1.

Oral Contributions (2006-2009)

  • Jaffé R, Dietemann V, Crewe R, Moritz RFA (2009): Temporal dynamics of an Apis mellifera scutellata drone congregation area. 56 Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Institut für Bienenforschung E.​V.: March 24th - 26th, Schwerin, Germany.
  • Jaffé R, Dietemann V, Crewe R, Moritz RFA (2008): Temporal dynamics of an African honeybee Drone Congregation Area. 3rd European Conference of Apidology: September 8th – 11th, Belfast, UK.
  • Jaffé R, Dietemann V, Crewe R, Moritz RFA (2008): Temporal genetic structure of a honeybee (Apis mellifera) Drone Congregation Area: A sex club with regular clients? 4th European Meeting of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects: August 30th – September 4th, La Roche-​en-​Ardenne, Belgium.
  • Jaffé R, Kraus FB, Moritz RFA (2007): Male mating flights and polyandry promote gene flow in the army ant Eciton burchellii. 20 Meeting of the German-​speaking Section of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects: September 26th - 28th, Schwerte, Germany.
  • Jaffé R, Kronauer DJC, Kraus FB, Boomsma JJ, Moritz RFA (2007): Rank in ant armies: How fathers influence caste in army ants (poster). XI Congress of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology: August 20th - 25th, Uppsala, Sweden.
  • Jaffé R, Shaibi T, Dietemann V, Kraus FB, Crewe R, Moritz RFA (2007): Comparing honeybee densities: European semi-​natural habitats versus African deserts (poster). Sustainable Neighbourhood - from Lisbon to Leipzig through Research (L2L): May 8th - 10th, Leipzig, Germany.
  • Jaffé R, Shaibi T, Dietemann V, Kraus FB, Crewe R, Moritz RFA (2007): Comparing honeybee densities: European versus African semi-​natural and natural habitats. 54. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Institut für Bienenforschung e.​V.: March 27th - 29th, Würzburg, Germany.
  • Jaffé R, Shaibi T, Dietemann V, Kraus FB, Crewe R, Moritz RFA (2006): Comparing wild honeybee densities: African deserts vs. european semi-​natural habitats. 2nd European Conference of Apidology: September 10th – 14th, Prague, Czech Republic.
  • Kraus FB, Jaffé R, Moritz RFA (2006): The consequences of polyandry for division of labour in the army ant Eciton burchellii. XV Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects: July 30th – August 5th, Washington DC, USA.
  • Sanchez C, Hilje B, Jaffé R, Barrantes G. (2004): Vocal variation in the Green Violet-​ear, a Neotropical hummingbird. The 85th Annual Meeting of the Wilson Ornithological Society: April 22nd – 25th, Ithaca, New York.

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