In the dense forests of South America and Southeast Asia, a parasite operates with chilling precision. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, often called the zombie-ant fungus, infects ants, invades their ...
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Ancient ‘Zombie’ Fungus Trapped in Amber Shows Mind Control Began in the Age of the Dinosaurs
Long before humans walked the Earth, while dinosaurs were still roaming the land, a parasitic fungus hijacked the mind of a young ant. Insidiously, the fungus orchestrated the ant’s demise. The ant ...
Nearly 100 million years ago, a droplet of tree resin captured a gruesome scene: a fungus bursting out of the body of an ant pupa. This amber fossil suggests that the fungus famous for its ability to ...
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. A glob of 99 ...
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. This microscopic, parasitic fungus evolved to hijack ants’ ...
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This ancient insect was found in amber… then scientists saw something growing out of its head
A fossilized ant and fly preserved in 99-million-year-old amber have revealed one of the oldest known examples of parasitic fungi taking over insect hosts. The fungal growths, protruding from the ...
We tend to think of agriculture as a human innovation. But insects beat us to it by millions of years. Various ant species cooperate with fungi, creating a home for them, providing them with nutrients ...
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