Jaime Chaves’ research centers on understanding how biodiversity is generated and maintained in the Neotropics, with a particular emphasis on the connection between molecular variation and phenotypic traits. He applies phylogenetic comparative methods and integrates data from fieldwork and museum collections to investigate evolutionary histories of organisms, addressing fundamental questions in biodiversity. By combining molecular genetics with field biology, Jaime explores evolutionary processes at multiple levels: from population divergence and speciation in action, to species-level phylogeography and systematics. His projects are grounded in international, multidisciplinary collaborations that actively engage local students and communities. While he employs molecular techniques across a variety of taxa, Jaime is especially drawn to birds for their remarkable diversity and life histories, and most of his work focuses on species on the Galápagos Islands.