Bert Hölldobler | |
|---|---|
 Hölldobler in 2010 | |
| Born | Berthold Karl Hölldobler (1936-06-25)25 June 1936 (age 88) Andechs, Bavaria, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | University of Würzburg (PhD) |
| Known for | The Ants (1990) |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellowship (1980) Leibniz Prize (1990) Pulitzer Prize (1991) Lichtenberg Medal (2010) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Zoology Sociobiology |
| Institutions | University of Frankfurt Harvard University University of Würzburg Cornell University Arizona State University |
Berthold Karl HölldoblerBVO (born 25 June 1936) is a Germanzoologist,sociobiologist andevolutionary biologist who studies evolution and social organization in ants. He is the author of several books, includingThe Ants, for which he and his co-author,E. O. Wilson, received thePulitzer Prize for non-fiction writing in 1991.
Hölldobler was born June 25, 1936, inErling-Andechs, Bavaria, Germany;[1] he was the son of Karl and Maria Hölldobler. He studied biology and chemistry at theUniversity of Würzburg. His doctoral thesis was on the social behavior of the malecarpenter ant and their role in the organization of carpenter ant societies. He was named professor of zoology at theUniversity of Frankfurt in 1971. From 1973 to 1990, he was professor of biology and theAlexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology atHarvard University inCambridge, Massachusetts. In 1989, he returned to Germany to accept the chair of behavioral physiology and sociobiology at the Theodor-Boveri-Institute of the University of Würzburg. From 2002 to 2008 Hölldobler was an Andrew D. White Professor at Large atCornell University in Ithaca, New York. Since his retirement in 2004 Hölldobler has worked as a research professor in the School of Life Sciences atArizona State University inTempe, Arizona. There he is one of the founders of the Social Insect Research Group (SIRG) and the Center for Social Dynamics and Complexity.
Hölldobler is one of the world's leading experts inmyrmecology.[2] His experimental and theoretical contributions coversociobiology,behavioral ecology, andchemical ecology. His primary study subjects are social insects and in particular ants. His work has provided valuable insights into mating strategies, regulation of reproduction, the evolution ofsocial parasitism, chemical communications, and the concept of "superorganisms". Publications on these topics include:
In addition to his published scientific papers and books, Hölldobler's work was the subject of the documentary filmAnts - Nature's Secret Power the winner of the 2005 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festivals Special Jury Prize.
Hölldobler's 2007 interview on theAsk A Biologist podcast program details his early life growing up in Germany as well as his interest in ants and writing.
