'Zombie ant parasite' uncovered

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Ants were being turned into zombies by a mind-control fungus 48 million years ago, scientists have learned

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20100818/ts ... 158bc.html

The evidence is an ancient fossilised leaf bearing unmistakable traces of a natural horror story.

Dr David Hughes, from the University of Exeter, who studied the find, said: "This leaf shows clear signs of one well-documented form of zombie parasite, a fungus which infects ants and then manipulates their behaviour."

The parasite, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, appears to take over the minds of infected ants.

The insects are forced to leave their nests and head for a leaf that provides ideal conditions for the fungus to reproduce.

On arrival the ants are compelled to bite hard on a major vein of the leaf before dying. The "death grip" leaves the ant in a perfect position for the fungus to grow and release its infectious spores.

The death grip bite leaves a very distinctive mark, and it was this scientists discovered on the 48-million-year-old leaf specimen from the Rhine Rift Valley in Hesse, Germany.

"This is, as far as we know, the oldest evidence of parasites manipulating the behaviour of their hosts and it shows this parasitic association with ants is relatively ancient and not a recent development."

The research is reported in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

Ancient Raid kills bugs dead topic

When I was a kid I found many insects fascinating, but now I really cannot figure out the need for some, including ants and bedbugs.

Boy, life here on Earth is so fascinating in its complexities and myriad types of interrelationships! i just can't wait until we meet and begin to interact with extraterrestrial life forms - who knows what sorts of interesting things might happen? Or have they?


Mwuh-huh-huh-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.....

it actually "corrupts" the host, almost like turning them into a zombie, i also heard that it makes them stronger by enhancing their exoskeleton, very amazing

the link doesn't work...at least on my comp....but that is creeeeepy!

I once had an idea about a "marrionette fungus" that killed things and then used their bodies as it's own...

...guess it wasn't as farfetched as I had thought.

My God...this means that a real zombie fungus/virus (for humans) could possibly exist or come into existance somehow....if it can happen in ants then its possible for some mad man to study and figure out how exactly the fungus was able to 'take over' the mind of its host ant. not saying it is going to happen or that its likey, just saying this lessens how absurd zombies in real life would be....if a fungus can control an ants brain to move and do what it wants to spread, whos to say the same can't exist somewhere (in this universe) for larger animals like humans?

food for thought....anyway this was a hellla interesting read, thank you!

I'm not sure I really believe that the "manipulator" is an expert on knowing where to connect on a host's brain.
I think its just a reaction for some reason.

I guarantee this article will get under your skin, really really deep.

http://www.electroherbalism.com/Naturop ... esRule.htm

Actually, i've heard of this, iirc, it's an exo-parasite that kind of grows on the ant's head (at least the one i saw) and looks like some sort of antenna without the satelite dish. :p I thought it was pretty interesting. Wasps also parasite larvas of beetles in order to have food for their progeny. Especially the Ichneumon species, iirc.

The wasps' offspring also leave the organs to last whilst eating the paralysed host, thereby extending the life of paralysis and keeping it "fresh".................gross.

Ichthyophthirius, another typical parasite.
http://www.fishdoc.co.uk/disease/whitespot.htm

good read. Goes to show parasites are tricky buggers to deal with. >=^(

The link's dead, but man that's scary! That's s**t you just can't make up!

*waits for a movie to be made about it*