Amotz Zahavi

Amotz Zahavi
Amotz Zahavi
Born	(1928-01-01)January 1, 1928 Petah Tikva, British Mandate of Palestine
Died	May 12, 2017(2017-05-12) (aged 89) Tel Aviv, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Alma mater	Tel Aviv University
Known for	Handicap principle
Scientific career
Fields	Biology
Institutions	Tel Aviv University

Amotz Zahavi

Amotz Zahavi (Template:Lang-he) (January 1, 1928 – May 12, 2017) was an Israeli evolutionary biologist, a Professor in the Department of Zoology at Tel Aviv University, and one of the founders of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (known as the "SPNI"). His main work concerned the evolution of signals, particularly those signals that are indicative fitness, and their selection.

Biography

Amotz Zahavi received his Ph.D from Tel Aviv University in 1970. He was married to Avishag Zahavi, a biologist and a co-investigator.

Scientific career

Further information: Signalling theory

Zahavi is best known for his work on the handicap principle, which explains the evolution of characteristics, behaviors or structures that appear contrary to the principles of Darwinian evolution in that they appear to reduce fitness and endanger individual organisms. Evolved by sexual selection, these act as signals of the status of the organism, functioning to e. g. attract mates. He expanded it with theories on honest signalling and the idea that selection would favour signals that impose a higher cost, those that are not easily cheated on.

Awards

In 1980, Zahavi, together with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and two other colleagues, was awarded the Israel Prize for SPNI's special contribution to society and the State, for the environment.

In 2011, Zahavi received the International Fyssen Prize for the evolution of social communication.

In 2016, Zahavi received a prize for lifetime achievement from the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences.

Published works

• Zahavi, A (1975). "Mate selection - a selection for a handicap". Journal of Theoretical Biology. 53 (1): 205–214. doi:10.1016/0022-5193(75)90111-3. PMID 1195756.
• Zahavi, A (1977). "The cost of honesty (Further remarks on the handicap principle)". Journal of Theoretical Biology. 67 (3): 603–605. doi:10.1016/0022-5193(77)90061-3. PMID 904334.
• Zahavi, A. and Zahavi, A. (1997). The handicap principle: a missing piece of Darwin's puzzle. Oxford University Press. Oxford. ISBN 0-19-510035-2

See also

• List of Israel Prize recipients

External links

• Professor Amotz Zahavi at Tel Aviv University