This can be particularly unsettling when we think that those organisms are… viruses. Share on Pinterest A newly ‘reanimated’ giant virus from the Siberian permafrost offers a chilling warning of possible dangers to come.īut while reviving dead humans may not be on the cards for our race just yet, reviving other organisms is. That’s very dangerous for these tiny spiders.” The wasp completely hijacks the spider’s behavior and brain and makes it do something it would never do, like leave its nest and spinning a completely different structure. “his behavior modification is so hardcore. “Wasps manipulating the behavior of spiders has been observed before, but not at a level as complex as this,” says Fernandez-Fournier. When the larva has gained full control of its host, it turns it into a zombie-like creature that is compelled to stray away from its mates and spin the cocoon-like nest that will allow the larva to grow into the adult wasp.īefore entering its new “cocoon,” though, the wasp larva first finishes its “job” by devouring its host. When the egg hatches and the wasp larva emerges, it starts feeding on the spider and begins to take control of its body. The Zatypota wasps lay eggs on the abdomen of A. When the researchers opened these artificial “cocoons,” they found Zatypota larvae growing inside.įurther research presented a gruesome string of events. eximius spiders are social animals that prefer to remain in groups, never straying too far from their colonies.īut Fernandez-Fournier and team noticed that members of this species infected with Zatypota larva exhibited bizarre behavior, leaving their colony to weave tightly-spun, cocoon-like webs in remote locations. They found that a previously unknown species of the Zatypota wasp can manipulate spiders from the Anelosimus eximius species to an extent that researchers have never before witnessed in nature.Ī. Share on Pinterest A species of parasitic wasps takes full control of small, social spiders, driving them to their death. “In essence, these manipulated animals were a fungus in ants’ clothing.”īelow, you can watch a video showing how the parasitic fungus infects its victims, leading them to their death. “We found that a high percentage of the cells in a host were fungal cells,” notes David Hughes, who is associate professor of entomology and biology at Penn State. unilateralis take full control of the ants’ muscle fibers, forcing them to move as it “wants” them to. Researchers from Pennsylvania State (Penn State) University found that O. The high elevation allows the fungus to grow and later spread its spores widely. The ants become compelled to climb to the top of elevated vegetation, where they remain affixed and die. When Ophiocordyceps unilateralis infect carpenter ants, they turn them into zombies. ![]() One of these species, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato, specifically infects, controls, and kills carpenter ants ( Camponotus castaneus), native to North America. ![]() Ophiocordyceps “feed” on the insects they attach to, growing into and out of their bodies until the insects die. After infection takes place, the parasitic fungus takes control of the insect’s mind, altering its behavior to make the propagation of fungal spores more likely. These species of fungus “target” and infect various insects through their spores. Share on Pinterest Carpenter ants taken over by parasitic fungi give in to their attackers and ‘lose their minds.’ Nowadays, people use the word “zombie” a lot more loosely - often metaphorically - to refer to anyone or anything that presents as apathetic, moves slowly, and demonstrates little awareness of their surroundings.īut do zombies, or zombie-like beings actually exist in nature, and if so, what are they, and how do they come to enter this state of “undeath?” And can humans ever become zombie-like? In this special feature, we investigate. However, little by little, the concept evolved to refer to a person that is rendered mindless by a witch doctor, entering a death-like state while still animated, and thus becoming the witch doctor’s slave. The word refers to creatures from Haitian folklore that, at its origin, was little more than the ghosts from Western folklore. The word zombie - originally spelled as zombi - first came into the English language in the 1800s, when poet Robert Southey mentioned it in his History of Brazil.Īccording to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word comes from the Louisiana Creole or Haitian Creole word zonbi, and it is akin to the Kimbundu term nzúmbe, which means ghost. Whatever you choose to call them, these corpses that rise from the grave to walk the world and terrify - and sometimes infect - its inhabitants are one of the top monsters in popular culture. Share on Pinterest Are there any real cases of zombification? We investigate.
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