Ophiocordyceps - Deadly Fungus - Has Been Turning Insects Into Zombies For 10s Of Millions Of Years

[hatrack]

A 48-million-year-old fossilised leaf has revealed the oldest known evidence of a macabre part of nature - parasites taking control of their hosts to turn them into zombies. The discovery has been made by a research team led by Dr David P Hughes, from the University of Exeter, who studies parasites that can take over the minds of their hosts.

All manner of animals are susceptible to the often deadly body invasion, but scientists have been trying to track down when and where such parasites evolved.

Dr Hughes, from the University's School of Biosciences, said: "There are various techniques, called a molecular clock approach, which we can use to estimate where and when they developed and fossils are an important source of information to calibrate such clocks. "This leaf shows clear signs of one well documented form of zombie-parasite, a fungus which infects ants and then manipulates their behaviour."

The fungus, called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, causes ants to leave their colonies and head for a leaf which provides the ideal conditions for the host to reproduce. When it gets there the ant goes into a 'death grip'- biting down very hard on the major vein of a leaf. This means that when the ant dies, its body stays put so the fungus has time to grow and release its spores to infect other ants. The death grip bite leaves a very distinct scar on the leaves. This prompted Dr Hughes, together with research partners Conrad Labandeira from the Smithsonian Institution in the USA and Torsten Wappler, from the Steinmann Institute in Germany, to search for potential evidence of the fungus at work by studying the fossilised remains of leaves.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Fossil_Reveals_48_Million_Year_History_Of_Zombie_Ants_999.html

[valerief]

1. Finally, an explanation for Teabaggers. They've got a fungus. nt

[RandomThoughts]

2. Like everything the zombie lore has two metaphors.

Some of it is a delusion where people see everyone else as monsters, was part of langoliers story. The idea that the masses of people are evil.

Has ideas of the living taking anything they want, the store they held out in, and the idea of snipping people in the head from a distance, PR or other stuff. Also the idea that the zombies are not coordinated and only act from impulse not thinking.



Then there is the other side, if you remove the violence, that the zombies are spreading love, and it is only seen as trying to kill someone by them being on the opposite side.

The side that shoots a friend if bitten, not feeling. Shaun of the dead did the best on that, just before anyone turned they spoke of compassion and love.


The zombie metaphor can be seen two ways, loving feeling people turning machines into feeling people. Or it can be seen as dumb uncoordinated people that don't think being an enemy to the self proclaimed living.


Same two sides and two views that are in everything else.

Shaun Of The Dead
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfDUv3ZjH2k


Note the coordination. Please pay attention :)