4 New Species of Zombie Ant Fungi Discovered in Brazilian Rainforest *pic*

This kind of stuff is always amazing to me. Despite being so small it's so powerful. What struck me the most is the every strand of the "Zombie Fungus" has it's own perfered species of insect....scary...

There is something similar that goes through bird feces, and infects fish, to make their reactions slower in order to get them eaten by birds. And it does affect humans, and one study said it might be responsible for a large percentage of "accidents" that humans have, such as traffic accidents, and slowed reaction times.

Here is how the Cat one can also affect humans.

Here is a snail one that causes their eyes to grow and their behavior to change. It is really messed up!

I can't find the bird-fish-human one, but I will look more later.

Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
Creepy kind of coolness

I remember seeing this and wondering if this was one tactic mother nature used for population control?
I know, I'm out on a limb here, but what started this phenomenon?
According to the article,"heavily degraded biodiversity hotspot " is what spawned this fungi, so that is why I ask if this is nature's way of addressing a dying ecosystem? Clean it out and start over, a rest button perhaps.

Peace,
spec
ETA: I wonder if this mechanism is limited to just ants?

Man if anyone starts growing fungus, they better find a new environment!

edit on 3-3-2011 by speculativeoptimist because: (no reason given)

If Mother Nature ever introduce some kind of eradication control to reduce the human race it might transpire in a way similar to a short story written by Brian Lumley called The Strange Years. I guess it's gloomy fun to wonder about such things. Who knows what lurking danger the future holds for the human race. Those poor ants though, sweet evil!!

Originally posted by RANDOMguess
Wow the notion of zombie anything is crazy...because that means there must be a possibility it could happen to humans.

Dear RANDOMguess ,

you have taken the words out of my mouth. I have known about these CORDYCEPS fungus for a long while and indeed there is a specific cordyceps fungus that is specific to every species ever to exist. The HUMAN species is equally vulnerable to these fungus, which are literally crawling inside of and all over us. Little that we can do about it. For example is it possible that all of the suicidal tendency which we encounter are to blame for the suicide of thousands each day as well as all of the depressions and hallucinations that all to often lead to such suicidal behaviour ? It is known that various fungus [in conifer forests] are definitely cause of suicide. One can speculate that all manifestations of human insanity are as a result of the action of such fungus ? Wars ? What if the military lock in on this thus they might research and develop a weapons grade variety able to send the "enemy" into a frenzy of suicide ?

איר האָט גענומען די ווערטער אויס פון מיין מויל. איך האָבן באַוווסט וועגן די קאָרדיסעפּס פונגוס פֿאַר אַ לאַנג בעת און טאַקע דאָרט איז אַ ספּעציפיש קאָרדיסעפּס פונגוס וואָס איז ספּעציפיש צו יעדער זגאַל אלץ צו עקזיסטירן. דער מענטש זגאַל איז גלייַך שפּירעוודיק צו די פונגוס, וואָס זענען ממש קראָלינג ין פון און אַלע איבער אונדז. ביסל וואָס מיר קענען טאָן וועגן אים. פֿאַר בייַשפּיל איז עס מעגלעך אַז אַלע פון די סואַסיידאַל טענדענץ וואָס מיר טרעפן זענען צו באַשולדיקן פֿאַר די זעלבסטמאָרד פון טויזנטער יעדער טאָג ווי גוט ווי אַלע פון די דיפּרעשאַנז און כאַלוסאַניישאַנז אַז אַלע צו אָפֿט פירן צו אַזאַ סואַסיידאַל ופפיר? עס איז באקאנט אַז פאַרשידן פונגוס [אין קאַנאַפער פאָראַס] זענען באשטימט גרונט פון זעלבסטמאָרד. מען קענען ספּעקולירן אַז אַלע מאַנאַפעסטיישאַנז פון מענטש מעשוגאַס זענען ווי אַ רעזולטאַט פון די אַקציע פון אַזאַ פונגוס? וואַרס? וואס אויב די מיליטער שלאָס אין אויף דעם אזוי זיי זאלן פאָרשונג און אַנטוויקלען אַ וועפּאַנז מיינונג פאַרשיידנקייַט קענען צו שיקן דעם "פייַנט" אין אַ פרענזי פון זעלבסטמאָרד?

AVE RAEGINA CAELINA LA DEUS NOSTRA CAELI LA VERA DEUS

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


Makes me think of that old SF movie 'The Brain Eaters' (1958) ....

S&F for the info & pics

reply to post by CAELENIUM


Yeah I will sent you a private PM off a video I just saw, tell me what you think.

This is scary but so cool all at once... anyone doing research in weaponizing fungus