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"It didn't seem possible at first," says Werren, professor of biology at the University of Rochester and a world-leading authority on the parasite, called wolbachia. "This parasite has implanted itself inside the cells of 70 percent of the world's invertebrates, coevolving with them. And now, we've found at least one species where the parasite's entire or nearly entire genome has been absorbed and integrated into the host's. The host's genes actually hold the coding information for a completely separate species."
Originally posted by halfmask
That's some creepy stuff. Imagen if there are ones that use humans. Isn't there one that infects cats and humans? I swear I read that some where.
Originally posted by halfmask
That's some creepy stuff. Imagen if there are ones that use humans. Isn't there one that infects cats and humans? I swear I read that some where.
Spinochordodes tellinii. A variant of the nematomorph or horsehair worm. It is a parasite, but hardly an orthodox one. This little outrage, after making it's way into it's hosts body (which it proceeds to eat until adulthood) punches part of itself (that round sharp mouth, perhaps?) into the host's brain. Into this brain it begins to secret proteins which control the host's actions for the rest of its existence. That existence comes to a fairly sudden halt when the worm turns its host toward the water and makes it jump in. The host drowns and the now-mature nematomorph swims away to find a mate. It's offspring will then somehow end up in the innards of another host (a cricket, grasshopper, etc.) where it will mature until returning to it's aquatic lifestyle to spawn.