Judean date palm 2005, before knowing the gender of the palm tree, Dr. Solowey was hoping that it would turn out to be female, for which there was a 50% chance, because that would have allowed it to give fruit; on the contrary, "if it's a male, it will just be a curiosity." Methuselah flowered in March 2011 and is male. As of 2012, there were tentative plans to crossbreed the palm with what was considered its closest extant relative, the Hayani date from Egypt, to generate fruit by 2022. By 2015 Methuselah had produced pollen that has been used successfully to pollinate
Madagascan fruit bat that it is absent from these areas. It requires suitable rock fissures and caves in which to roost during the day. Colony size varies between about ten and five hundred individuals. Examination of the droppings from the Madagascan fruit bat show that it mainly consumes fruit but also feeds on the flowers of "Eucalyptus" spp.. It was found to fly as far as to reach trees of "Polyscias" spp. while largely neglecting the guava trees "Psidium" near its roost. Seeds smaller than about in diameter were swallowed. This helped with dispersal of the seed and it has been shown that