David Steve Jacobs is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and holds a Research Chair in Animal Evolution and Systematics at the University of Cape Town (UCT). He is an associate editor for several international journals including PloS ONE. His research focuses on the processes involved in trait evolution and how divergence in traits lead to lineage diversification and the consequent generation of biodiversity. He has a special interest in the evolution of sensory traits. He has mentored more than 65 postgraduate degrees and postdoc fellows and published more than 80 peer-reviewed publications including articles in Nature, PNAS, Molecular Biology and Evolution. He is also a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).
