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•January 6, 2026Israeli research traces need for sleep over millions of years of evolution
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Phys.org - latest science and technology news storiesSleep is essential for much of the animal kingdom. During the night, neuron and tissue repair mechanisms are activated to aid recovery from daily activity. This is risky: organisms that sleep are more vulnerable to predators. However, the phenomenon extends from mammals to invertebrates. Nevertheless, until now it was not known whether other, more ancient groups without neurons, such as corals, engage in any kind of nocturnal rest.
Phys.org - latest science and technology news storiesA joint study by Tel Aviv University and the University of Haifa set out to solve a scientific mystery: how a soft coral is able to perform the rhythmic, pulsating movements of its tentacles without a central nervous system. The study's findings are striking, and may even change the way we understand movement in the animal kingdom in general, and in the corals studied in particular.
Phys.org - latest science and technology news storiesDorota Skowronska-Krawczyk sits in her office, eyes fixed on the computer monitor in front of her. "You see it move its eye," says the UC Irvine associate professor of physiology and biophysics, pointing to an image of a Greenland shark slowly drifting through the murky Arctic Ocean. "The shark is tracking the light—it's fascinating."