|
 psilocybin_qualm
Student
Registered: 04/25/07
Posts: 331
Loc: PNW
Last seen: 5 months, 21 days
|
 Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus 
#10875689 - 08/17/09 02:50 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Animals
Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus
By LiveScience Staff
posted: 12 August 2009 09:23 am ET
 In a bizarre parasitic death sentence, a fungus turns carpenter ants into the walking dead and gets them to die in a spot that's perfect for the fungus to grow and reproduce.
Scientists have no clue how the fungus takes control of the brains of ants so effectively. But a new study in the September issue of the American Naturalist reveals an incredible set of strategies that ensue.
The carpenter ants nest high in the canopy of a forest in Thailand, and they trek to the forest floor to forage. The fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, prefers to end up on the undersides leaves sprouting from the northwest side of plants that grow on the forest floor, the new study showed. That's where temperature, humidity and sunlight are ideal for the fungus to grow and reproduce and infect more ants.
Once infected by the fungus, an ant is compelled to climb down from the canopy to the low leaves, where it clamps down with its mandibles just before it dies.
"The fungus accurately manipulates the infected ants into dying where the parasite prefers to be, by making the ants travel a long way during the last hours of their lives," said study leader David P. Hughes of Harvard University.
After the ant dies, the fungus continues to grow inside it. By dissecting victims, Hughes and colleagues found that the parasite converts the ant's innards into sugars that help the fungus grow. But it leaves the muscles controlling the mandibles intact to make sure the ant keeps its death grip on the leaf.
The fungus also preserves the ant's outer shell, growing into cracks and crevices to reinforce weak spots, thereby fashioning a protective coating that keeps microbes and other fungi out.
"The fungus has evolved a suite of novel strategies to retain possession of its precious resource," Hughes said.
After a week or two, spores from the fungus fall to the forest floor, where other ants can be infected.
Making nests in the forest canopy might be an evolved ant strategy to avoid infection, Hughes figures. The ants also seem to avoid foraging under infected areas. This too might be an adaptive strategy to avoid infection, but more study is needed to confirm it, he said.
How the fungus controls ant behavior remains unknown. "That is another research area we are actively pursuing right now," Hughes said.
mod edit: added link and picture
Edited by veggie (08/17/09 03:08 PM)
|
WalterShabas
Samsquanch
Registered: 07/30/08
Posts: 949
Loc: Middle West
Last seen: 3 months, 11 days
|
|
This freaks me out, and makes me really distrust mushrooms in general. Maybe mushrooms only make us trip balls so that we keep growing them! I for one am not going to be controlled by these evil fungus overlords!
--------------------
Push th' little daisies and make 'em come up.
|
Endlessness
Nexus Refugee
Registered: 07/21/07
Posts: 270
Last seen: 4 months, 24 days
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: WalterShabas]
#10875877 - 08/17/09 03:24 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Sounds like some Mckenna daydreaming about humans only being an invention of fungus to move spores around 
|
 rodfarva
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=====-----=-=-=-=-I
Registered: 07/31/07
Posts: 4,850
Last seen: 2 minutes, 14 seconds
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: Endlessness]
#10876036 - 08/17/09 03:55 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Oh my God, what if there is a fungus that makes us smoke, drink and work ourselves to death, and then bury our dead in wooden boxes underground where they can feast on us in moist cool climate control. Would we know it?
--------------------
|
batmanonshrooms
puıɯ ɹnoʎ ɟo ʇno ǝɹ,noʎ
Registered: 08/11/09
Posts: 53
Loc: Ireland 
Last seen: 2 days, 5 hours
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: rodfarva]
#10876068 - 08/17/09 04:00 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
i swear it was the fungus that make me kill all those people 
|
MushroomTrip
Dr. Teasy Thighs
  
Registered: 12/02/05
Posts: 14,348
Loc: red panda village
Last seen: 14 days, 8 hours
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: WalterShabas]
#10876123 - 08/17/09 04:09 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
WalterShabas said:
This freaks me out, and makes me really distrust mushrooms in general. Maybe mushrooms only make us trip balls so that we keep growing them! I for one am not going to be controlled by these evil fungus overlords!
Maybe the mushrooms wanted you to read this article so you stop growing them. 
--------------------
    
All this time I've loved you
And never known your face
All this time I've missed you
And searched this human race
Here is true peace
Here my heart knows calm
Safe in your soul
Bathed in your sighs
|
Moronicus
smokehousebacon.
Registered: 05/13/09
Posts: 4,430
Last seen: 6 months, 21 days
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: MushroomTrip]
#10876206 - 08/17/09 04:22 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
mushrooms have controlled my brain before.
they made me take off my clothes, grope girls, ramble on street corners with apocalyptic signs, and get tased.
--------------------
BACON RANCH, FUCK YEAH
A post about m00nshine
Anonymous #6 said:
Yes, it is. The shine stands for his job title, which is Shoe Shiner, the moon stands for the time he comes out to be a nigger, which is best suited for the negroid camouflage.
|
 Invisible_Woe
Drunken Otaku
Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 7,941
Loc: The white ship
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: MushroomTrip]
#10876210 - 08/17/09 04:22 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
thaaaaats what that little stick with the ball at the end is on my head....well im gonna go die in a pile of dead wood and leaves
--------------------
"It can also be argued that DNA is nothing more than a program designed to preserve itself. Life has become more complex in the overwhelming sea of information. And life, when organized into species, relies upon genes to be its memory system. So, man is an individual only because of his intangible memory... and memory cannot be defined, but it defines mankind." - Project 2501
|
rodfarva
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=====-----=-=-=-=-I
Registered: 07/31/07
Posts: 4,850
Last seen: 2 minutes, 14 seconds
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: Invisible_Woe]
#10876763 - 08/17/09 05:54 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Invisible_Woe said:
thaaaaats what that little stick with the ball at the end is on my head....well im gonna go die in a pile of dead wood and leaves
HAHAHA lol
--------------------
|
justablip
shroom
Registered: 05/24/09
Posts: 129
Loc: indy
Last seen: 4 days, 1 hour
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: Invisible_Woe]
#10876778 - 08/17/09 05:57 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
damn. that is some serious adaptation and evolution. I can't wait until they discover how the fungus does control ants brain. then again nothing good could come of the government getting their hands on brain control technology
--------------------
[quote]Little angel, go away...
Come again some other day...
Devil has my ear today...
I'll never hear a word you say...
He Promised I would find a little solace and some peace of mind...
Whatever. just as long as I don't feel so desperate and ravenous.
I'm so Weak and powerless over you...[/quote] -MJK
|
caphillkid
Coquus Boleti
Registered: 10/09/08
Posts: 4,666
Loc: Jet City
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: justablip]
#10876935 - 08/17/09 06:21 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
It's not just ants either. There are many types of this parasitic fungus that attack specific insects.
|
burtonRebel
Mac Dre
Registered: 12/02/06
Posts: 858
Last seen: 1 year, 10 months
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: caphillkid]
#10877330 - 08/17/09 07:36 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
fascinating yet horrifying.
--------------------
"hey man wanna smoke some weed?"
"Naw man, i smoke fools like you on the basketball court"
|
pftek
1337
Registered: 08/18/08
Posts: 832
Last seen: 2 years, 7 months
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: caphillkid]
#10878539 - 08/17/09 10:57 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
caphillkid said:
It's not just ants either. There are many types of this parasitic fungus that attack specific insects.
where's the human cordycep fungus? that's some crazy shit.
|
tangoking
Lover of Boletes
Registered: 07/02/09
Posts: 874
Loc: New Jersey, USA
Last seen: 1 month, 20 days
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: pftek]
#10879869 - 08/18/09 02:15 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
That is flipping crazy.
Quote:
pftek said:where's the human cordycep fungus?
Cancer?
--------------------
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms said, "...the rule of thumb is to avoid any bolete with orange to red pores, especially any that bruises blue."
Lincoff, (1989). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms (pp. 562). New York: Knopf.
STICKY: Hunting/ID Sub-Forum General Guidelines
STICKY: ID Request Guidelines
www.youryoure.com
Edited by tangoking (08/18/09 02:16 AM)
|
elementswrath
Finger' trippin good
Registered: 08/04/09
Posts: 5,276
Loc: suiciety 
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: MushroomTrip]
#10880014 - 08/18/09 02:48 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
MushroomTrip said:
Quote:
WalterShabas said:
This freaks me out, and makes me really distrust mushrooms in general. Maybe mushrooms only make us trip balls so that we keep growing them! I for one am not going to be controlled by these evil fungus overlords!
Maybe the mushrooms wanted you to read this article so you stop growing them.
that would make sense cause the government is ruled by mushrooms and he made the eating of the mushrooms illegal, aka "magic mushroom" so then it would help prevent the slaughter of the mushrooms, well i am going to eat them all and no mushrooms can stop me!
|
tangoking
Lover of Boletes
Registered: 07/02/09
Posts: 874
Loc: New Jersey, USA
Last seen: 1 month, 20 days
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: pftek]
#10885373 - 08/18/09 09:43 PM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
pftek said:where's the human cordycep fungus?
Found it at the bottom of this page under "Miscellaneous Syndromes," ss. "Encephalopathy. Mushrooms: Haplopilus rutilans (=Haplopilus nidulans), Pleurocybella porrigens"
http://www.namyco.org/toxicology/poison_syndromes.html
--------------------
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms said, "...the rule of thumb is to avoid any bolete with orange to red pores, especially any that bruises blue."
Lincoff, (1989). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms (pp. 562). New York: Knopf.
STICKY: Hunting/ID Sub-Forum General Guidelines
STICKY: ID Request Guidelines
www.youryoure.com
Edited by tangoking (08/18/09 09:55 PM)
|
Jorsher
Psychonaut
Registered: 08/28/06
Posts: 691
Loc: Earth
Last seen: 2 years, 5 months
|
Re: Zombie Ants Controlled by Fungus [Re: tangoking]
#10886335 - 08/19/09 12:17 AM (3 years, 8 months ago) |
|
|
There is some information on these on Planet Earth.
Great series both for visuals and information.
Must watch in high-definition 
--------------------
5 shroom me!
|
|
Images only 
Threaded
Previous
Index
Next
Shop for: 
Edit 
Reply 
