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Monday, August 10, 2009

Science News from the Animal Kingdom

Posted by Charles Mudede on Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 9:38 AM

In this life-abundant world of ours there exists a type of fungus that has the extraordinary power to control the mind of an ant:

This ant latched on to a leaf before dying from infection by the parasitic fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. A fungal stalk has grown out of the carcass and produced a red-orange ball that will release large spores. Researchers propose that the parasite prompted the expiring ant to move into a fungus-friendly spot before death.

Comments (11) RSS

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Yeah, there was a whole segment on this on a nature show that aired in the UK about three years ago. It was horrifying.

Posted by Judah

on August 10, 2009 at 9:54 AM

There are a whole bunch of these sorts of things. There's the wasps that lay their eggs inside caterpillars and then the larva devour all the internal organs and hijack the nervous system... and then there's our friend Toxoplasma Gondii, who's responsible for making people like cats.

Posted by Andrew Cole on August 10, 2009 at 10:10 AM

ZOMBIE ANTS!

Also the segment on this on BBC's "Planet Earth" is crazy beautiful/creepy.

Posted by zephsright on August 10, 2009 at 10:15 AM

planet earth did it.

Posted by jakebarker

on August 10, 2009 at 10:15 AM

I think ants are pretty easily mind-controlled already. Don't they basically do whatever the queen's pheromones tell them to do?

Posted by Urgutha Forka on August 10, 2009 at 10:22 AM

You sound as if you believe you are not being "mind-controlled" by plants and fungus.

Posted by Fnarf

on August 10, 2009 at 12:51 PM

You need to read Lawrence Weschler's book "Mr. Wilson's Cabinet Of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology."

Posted by TIm Appelo, City Arts Magazine on August 10, 2009 at 1:05 PM

I heard a doctor talking about the human ability to shut down the frontal lobes and turn over the thinking process to a leader, like religious cults.

Posted by Vince on August 10, 2009 at 1:30 PM

There's also a fungus that does the same to caterpillars and the fungus is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is referred to as cordyceps most of the time. Cyclosporin, a immune system suppressant is also derived from this family of fungi.

Posted by iridius on August 10, 2009 at 1:44 PM