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Zombie Ants and Killer Fungus
nibbles2004 writes "An article in the Guardian newspaper shows how parasitic fungi evolved the ability to control ants they infect, ultimately leading the ant to its death. The fungus controls the ant's movements to a suitable leaf and causes the ant to grip onto the leaf's central stem, allowing the fungus to spore, which will allow more ants to become infected."
I wonder if the zombie ants have a higher chance of infecting others if the leaves they cling to are the leaves of GRAAAAIIIIIINNNNSSS?
I am scientifically inaccurate.
M. Night Shiamalan will probably make a stupid movie about this.
This was featured on the BBC series Planet Earth- the episode on jungles. Very cool to see a fungi erupt from an ant's head!
The article actually explains that this behavior of the fungus controlling the ant has been ongoing for 48 million years. The slashdot summary does not even mention this as the key point.
BBC Planet Earth shows the cordyceps fungus attacking some Bullet Ants in South America. It is incredible camera work showing the ant being forced to climb, and later a time lapse of the fruit body erupting from the ant's body. It is short but very well filmed, as is the case for the entire series.
HIGHLY recommend watching this if you have any interest in nature.
The cordyceps section is around 28 minutes into the "Jungle" episode. You won't be dissapointed.
Actually I searched youtube and found an excert of this episide including the cordyceps on the ants. The cordyceps part starts about 4 minutes into this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qabQZQQrGk
I still recommend getting the blue-ray or at least dvd of this series, can't say enough good things about it in general.
It's easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis#Behavioral_changes
A parasite found inthe urinary tracts of felines that infects about half the human population
It makes rats lose their fear of cat urine, and has been linked to schizophrenia in humans
Wherever You Go, There You Are
An article in the Guardian newspaper shows how parasitic fungi evolved the ability to control ants they infect [emphasis added]
No... not really. If you RTFA, it gives a nice outline of what we have known for many years about the fungus controlling the ants, and it mentions the new fact: That evidence of the behavior is found in 48 million-year-old fossilized plants. Nowhere does the article even hint that we have even a remote understanding of the "how".
Allow me to quote the end of the article:
He added: "Of all the parasitic organisms, only a few have evolved this trick of manipulating their host's behaviour.
Why go to the bother? Why are there not more of them?"
Scientists are not clear how the fungus controls the ants it infects, but know that the parasite releases alkaloid chemicals into the insect as it consumes it from the inside.
>> Standing on head makes smile of frown, but rest of face also upside down.
I've ran into two better examples of parasite-inducing mind-control / suicide...
1) A parasite that needs to get to water for its adult stage, so just before it climbs out of its host (somewhat aliens-style) it influences it to dive into water:
http://majorityrights.com/index.php/weblog/comments/cricket_infected_with_gordian_worm_committing_suicide/
2) a snail driven to suicidal behavior to attract the next vector, a bird, to continue its life cycle:
http://zombieresearch.net/2009/10/14/zombie-snail-spreads-infection/
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
We know that:
- organisms that survived and procreated did something successful, and
- behavior is inherited.
This sounds to me like the ant climbs because the fungus is in its head and its trying to escape it by going higher. There's a similar organism reproduction cycle with ants where the ant goes to the top of grass, and the ant is said to be controlled to do that so it is easy prey for a bird where the organism continues the cycle in the intestines.
The way this should be viewed is that parasites that attacked certain areas of their host that resulted in host behavior that was most successful for the parasite to move to the next stage of growth survived, and others who didn't are not here. Neither "controlled" the host, it is blind evolutionary luck.
Similar can be said about organisms that release toxins that force a flushing action for their onward journey. Did they "control" the host to develop diarrhea? No, those that perform actions that allow for survival and procreation survived and procreated. Unfortunately for both ants and humans, with devastating, but thoughtless, effectiveness.
rd
No, fungi are their own kingdom.
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