WTF Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 http://www.newscient...rowing-out.html Basically it's a short article that sort of shows parasitic mind control as done by a fungi on a dead carpenter ant. Not to mention it's fossilised proof showing that this has been going on for millions of years. Just spoilered for the squeamish really. It's not that terrible an image. From the article It is the first time this sort of behavioural control has been discovered in the fossil record, and supports the idea that the ants and fungi have been locked in an evolutionary arms race for many millions of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr W Phallus Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Wow, that's some crazy shit, sounds like the premise to a horror movie. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Wow. That's pretty cool. I don't understand how it's possible though. From my understanding fungi aren't intelligent in any way, no brains at all. So how would it control an ant, or even know what the hell it was doing or why. I guess I'll go hunt down some explanation. Why'd the mushroom get invited to all the parties? he was a fungi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battra92 Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Video spoilered for the squeamish. For those who won't look, think John Hurt. Very fascinating that each species has its own fungi that attacks it. It keeps all insects in the jungle in check so that one species doesn't overrun the whole place. It's somewhat curious to watch because your mind can be taken in so many different directions. I prefer to look at it and think of how every creature does has a purpose in the great Master Plan of our creator. Something like what H.G. Wells said in War of the Worlds: In another moment I had scrambled up the earthen rampart and stood upon its crest, and the interior of the redoubt was below me. A mighty space it was, with gigantic machines here and there within it, huge mounds of material and strange shelter places. And scattered about it, some in their overturned war-machines, some in the now rigid handling-machines, and a dozen of them stark and silent and laid in a row, were the Martians--dead!--slain by the putrefactive and disease bacteria against which their systems were unprepared; slain as the red weed was being slain; slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Ahhhhh. From the image it looked like the Fungus had grown into the ant's neck to control it like Matrix style of sorts. Not that the fungus started from the Ant and grew out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted March 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 What's actually interesting is the fungi and ants in some sort of warfare. But no it's not grown into it. but it grew out of the ant and then started to take control of it sort of making it like a zombie ant (albeit briefly). Fortunately for humans we don't have that issue, however for those who do consume certain meats raw there are several other issues. About 10% of the global 'recorded' seizure victims are usually victims of a tapeworm attack on their brains. Fungi aren't capable of making us go Body Snatchers yet . And they do control populations of some species as Battra pointed. However them not possessing a brain doesn't technically mean they do not possess self-consciousness or rather what animals feel. After all they are similar to animal cells except have a chitinous cell wall and if plants possess a semblance of proper consciousness then so can fungi. Here's another tangent though I'm sure many are aware of this. Some of our first nano-creations are technically cyborg bacteria. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=critters-on-a-chip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercurial Posted March 5, 2011 Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Not to mention you can train single celled organisms and some fungi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted March 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2011 Not to mention you can train single celled organisms and some fungi. I always wish people were wrong whenever they say it but you're so right on this one. I guess it's just not a widely known fact. Since it can be used for both good and bad and of course we've had mishaps before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorgiShinobi Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I've seen the YouTube video years ago, and it is definitely some crazy, crazy stuff, dude. Also, when you think about it... and... From Bulbapedia, for Parasect: Like its previous stage, Parasect is an insectoid creature. However, in this stage, the mushroom has completely overtaken the host's body. The insect has been drained of nutrients and is now under the control of the fully grown tochukaso. Due to the influence of the tochukaso in its growth, the insect's metamorphosis has been stunted and it instead resembles a grotesque, exaggerated version of its former self. Its pincers and legs have grown much larger and the mushrooms on its back have grown together into one giant mushroom. Its eyes have become whited out resembling those of zombies, likely due to its being possessed by the tochukaso. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enervation Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 evolutionary arms race So if it is an arms race, how exactly have the ants evolved to combat the fungi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigawings Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I've seen the YouTube video years ago, and it is definitely some crazy, crazy stuff, dude. Also, when you think about it... and... From Bulbapedia, for Parasect: Like its previous stage, Parasect is an insectoid creature. However, in this stage, the mushroom has completely overtaken the host's body. The insect has been drained of nutrients and is now under the control of the fully grown tochukaso. Due to the influence of the tochukaso in its growth, the insect's metamorphosis has been stunted and it instead resembles a grotesque, exaggerated version of its former self. Its pincers and legs have grown much larger and the mushrooms on its back have grown together into one giant mushroom. Its eyes have become whited out resembling those of zombies, likely due to its being possessed by the tochukaso. Damn, those guys at Nintendo Pokemon really do their research. And don't forget some other morbid stuff, like Cubone wearing skull of his/her mother on their head. Also I watch the video (need to be edited btw, I have to copy paste it from reply menu) it can give horror novelists some ideas for the next zombie outbreak novels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Ants mostly treat fungi as weed, when they come across fungi they swarm clear up the place and then dump them. Fungi attack ant gardens often killing them, hence when ants detect them they pretty much kill them asap. This is where sometimes bacteria come to play, certain ants have a white coating on them which isn't mucous but rather bacteria. In fact it's the same bacteria that's used to create most antibiotics - the actinobacteria type. The bacteria get food from the ants in exchange for killing the fungus. It's a long and complex relationship really and fungi vs ants keeps going on. Also there couldn't be videos of this particular incident going on for years. Most of these ants vs fungi discoveries are pretty recent to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercurial Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) also zombie snails Edited March 6, 2011 by Hakidia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorgiShinobi Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Also there couldn't be videos of this particular incident going on for years. Most of these ants vs fungi discoveries are pretty recent to be honest. i.e. The video I've seen years ago being the one Battra posted about fungi attacking specific species of insect, like grasshoppers and moths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTF Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Ah cool. It's annoying that I can't see that video on this computer. Stupid plugin WMP I'm guessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercurial Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 There is a mushroom that eats grasshoppers...ALIVE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr W Phallus Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 also zombie snails Worst narrator ever. If only David Attenborough could narrate everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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