|
 nooneman
Stranger
Registered: 04/25/09
Posts: 5,786
|
 Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus.   2
#16178028 - 05/03/12 08:43 PM (1 year, 20 days ago) |
|
|
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/03/11398655-zombie-ants-fight-fungus-with-fungus
By Devin Coldewey
Zombie ants fight fungus with fungus
The Cordyceps fungus has become a staple of "stranger than fiction" nature stories: Its complex and lethal parasitism of ants, causing the insects to climb as high as they can before the fungus bursts like a horn from their heads, is both bizarre and captivating. Now scientists report that the parasite is getting a dose of its own medicine, as it finds itself under attack from yet another parasitic fungus — one that targets Cordyceps. It's nature's way to pile weirdness upon weirdness.
Researchers led by David Hughes at Penn State University were looking into how some groups of ants were able to survive a Cordyceps attack. The fungus is extremely virulent and can often wipe out an entire colony. Ants groom each other to remove potentially troublesome fungus and microbes, but that couldn't account for the survival rates they were occasionally seeing.
What they found (and reported in PLoS One) was another fungus growing in and around the ant colonies — just as much a specialist as the first fungus. This newly discovered fungus attacked the "zombie-ant" fungi and effectively neutered them, sabotaging their spore-producing organs and preventing them from fruiting. Some ants would still be infected (the researchers described a "high density of zombie-ant cadavers in the graveyard"), but the spread of zombie-ism was largely stopped.
Each species of Cordyceps fungus targets only one species; the ant-zombifying variety is just the best-known type. That there could be a fungus that was parasitic in such a fascinating way on a single species is amazing enough, but that a second fungus would specialize in attacking the first is almost beyond belief. It's an example of the density and biodiversity that one finds in, as Hughes puts it, "the exciting theater played out on the rainforest floor."
Parasitic fungus killed by a parasitic fungus. Parasite-ception?
|
 Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 31,334
Last seen: 1 hour, 32 minutes
|
Re: Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus. [Re: nooneman] 1
#16178065 - 05/03/12 08:50 PM (1 year, 20 days ago) |
|
|
So what is it that is eating Cordyceps?
The article forgets to say. Perhaps because it has no name?
|
nooneman
Stranger
Registered: 04/25/09
Posts: 5,786
|
Re: Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus. [Re: Alan Rockefeller]
#16178216 - 05/03/12 09:21 PM (1 year, 20 days ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Alan Rockefeller said:
So what is it that is eating Cordyceps?
The article forgets to say. Perhaps because it has no name?
That would be my guess, or perhaps it hasn't been properly identified yet. The actual article in PLoS One might say...
I believe this is the original article:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0036352
I can't find anywhere where it lists what's killing Cordyceps, but it's a fairly detailed article. Maybe I just missed it.
|
Ieponumos
Mycophile/Phytophile
Registered: 09/02/09
Posts: 4,672
|
Re: Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus. [Re: Alan Rockefeller]
#16178743 - 05/03/12 10:52 PM (1 year, 20 days ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Alan Rockefeller said:
So what is it that is eating Cordyceps?
The article forgets to say. Perhaps because it has no name?
I believe this is the case. It is also quite possible that it fits in a preestablished genus and has just not had sufficient taxonomic examination due to the novelty of its discovery. Nevertheless, I find this trophic mechanism interesting.
Where there is a niche, something will fill it.
|
mushiefeet
Iron Lung420
Registered: 01/18/11
Posts: 369
Last seen: 8 months, 20 days
|
Re: Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus. [Re: Ieponumos]
#16181319 - 05/04/12 01:48 PM (1 year, 19 days ago) |
|
|
So when do we get human zombies disease? Wait we already kinda have that with all the meds people get put on. 
|
Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 31,334
Last seen: 1 hour, 32 minutes
|
Re: Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus. [Re: mushiefeet]
#16183931 - 05/05/12 12:31 AM (1 year, 19 days ago) |
|
|
Quote:
mushiefeet said:
So when do we get human zombies disease?
We do. It is called toxoplasmosis. It modifies the behavior of people who are normally quiet and stay at home to go out to bars and try to get laid to spread it.
The next time some girl walks up to you and hits on you for no apparent reason, now you have a theory to explain this behavior. This happened to me twice this week. I escaped both times without leaving a phone number.
50% of the human population has toxomplasmosis.
|
Stonehenge
enthusiast
Registered: 06/20/04
Posts: 3,784
Loc: S.E.
Last seen: 3 hours, 51 minutes
|
Re: Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus. [Re: Alan Rockefeller]
#16186249 - 05/05/12 03:57 PM (1 year, 18 days ago) |
|
|
>Each species of Cordyceps fungus targets only one species; the ant-zombifying variety is just the best-known type.
Ants are not one species, they are at least one perhaps more than one genus comprising many species. The article may not have been written by a technical person. Many species of fungi will feed on other species of fungi. Cordyceps is interesting in that it has medicinal properties for people.
>The next time some girl walks up to you and hits on you for no apparent reason, now you have a theory to explain this behavior.
I'll take my chances.
Anyway, Toxoplasmosis is said to be cured by thyme, an herb. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20336317
--------------------
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.” (attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville political philosopher Circa 1835)
|
Leon Ferrum
environmentalist know-it-all
Registered: 09/01/09
Posts: 335
Last seen: 4 months, 12 days
|
Re: Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus. [Re: Stonehenge]
#16191954 - 05/06/12 09:55 PM (1 year, 17 days ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Stonehenge said:
Anyway, Toxoplasmosis is said to be cured by thyme, an herb. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20336317
There is a cure for crazy horny bitch syndrome? Cool.
|
em_bre_O
shroomery'sembryoticasshole
Registered: 05/27/02
Posts: 2,202
Loc: In the stages of develope...
Last seen: 7 days, 14 hours
|
Re: Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus. [Re: Leon Ferrum]
#16192693 - 05/07/12 12:32 AM (1 year, 17 days ago) |
|
|
spoke with Pstamets about this. He says there is alot of info missing that is the reporters fault.
--------------------
JOHN ALLEN now with snitch action!!
Vertigo said:"em bre o knows his shit and doesn't have any problem honestly speaking his mind. You may not like what he has to say but it doesn't make it less true"
Workman's new pic!:
|
Magick
Thinker
Registered: 01/25/09
Posts: 734
Last seen: 1 day, 21 minutes
|
 Re: Parasitic Cordyceps "Zombie Ant" Fungus Killed by Another Parasitic Fungus. [Re: em_bre_O]
#16198070 - 05/08/12 03:31 AM (1 year, 15 days ago) |
|
|
|
|
Images only 
Threaded
Previous
Index
Next
Shop for: 
Edit 
Reply 
