Biology & Evolution News

Aging vultures prefer to stay at home instead of going out

A new Tel Aviv University (TAU) study has revealed that vultures, much like humans, experience changes in movement habits and social relationships as they age. Young vultures frequently move between roosting sites and “hanging out a lot with their friends.” In old age, however, vultures scale back on socializing, preferring to “stay home.” The study,… Read More

TAU research finds that sponges employ an original tactic to warn off predators

A new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU) found that sponges in the Gulf of Eilat have developed an original way to keep predators away. The researchers found that the sponges contain an unprecedented concentration of the highly toxic mineral molybdenum. In addition, they identified the bacterium that enables sponges to store such high concentrations… Read More

Sunflowers “dance” to keep each other in the shade

A new study by Tel Aviv University (TAU) in collaboration with the University of Colorado, Boulder, found that plants that grow in dense environments, where each plant casts a shadow on its neighbor, find a collective solution to help them discover optimal growth directions with the help of random movements. The research sheds light on… Read More

Principles of origami used to position sensors inside 3D-bioprinted tissues

Researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) relied on principles of origami, the Japanese art of paperfolding, to position sensors inside 3D-bioprinted tissue models. Instead of bioprinting tissue over the sensors, which proved to be impractical, they designed and produced an origami-inspired structure that folds around the fabricated tissue, allowing the insertion of sensors into precisely… Read More

Wild bats have cognitive abilities previously considered exclusive to humans, TAU study finds

Researchers at Tel Aviv University (TAU) tracked free-ranging Egyptian fruit bats to answer a long-standing scientific question: Do have high and complex cognitive abilities, previously attributed only to humans? Their findings suggest that they do. In particular, the study focused on the traits of episodic memory, mental time travel, planning ahead, and delayed gratification, and… Read More

New TAU study investigates human/bird interaction in urban environments

A new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU) found that when humans are suddenly absent from the urban environment, the activity of the crows and ringneck parakeets that “live” in the area significantly reduces. Conversely, graceful prinias, which are generally considered shy, increased their activity. The research examined what happens to birds that are accustomed… Read More

TAU develops significant improvement to process of genetically cloning plants

Researchers from the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security at Tel Aviv University (TAU) and the Volcani Institute have developed new compounds that significantly increase the rooting efficiency of cuttings — typically small branches — taken from mature trees. Getting cuttings to root is a critical component in modern agriculture. A significant number of… Read More

“Rebooting” chemical simulations can lead to faster results

A new study from Tel Aviv University (TAU) has found that “stopping and restarting” sampling in a chemical simulation can facilitate faster results, extending a common practice in information technology. The research was led by PhD student Ofir Blumer in collaboration with Professor Shlomi Reuveni and Dr. Barak Hirshberg from TAU’s Sackler School of Chemistry…. Read More