Zombie Ant Fungus Just Got Scarier! #ant #ants #cordyceps #thelastofus #fungus #educational #science

Zombie Ant Fungus Just Got Scarier! #mieren #ameisen #ant #ants #antsofinstagram #hormigas #fourmi #fourmis #naturephotography #naturelover #macroinsect #insects_macro #bugs #insect #queenant #insectsofinstagram #fauna #myrmecology #entomology #Formicidae #antsofcanada #downtheanthill #canadianantshop #canadaantcolony #cordyceps #thelastofus #fungus #educational #science

Transcript:

We used to think Zombie Ant Fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, brainwashed ants, but it turns out that the zombified ants are aware the entire time.

Ants infected with Zombie Ant Fungus leave the nest in search of a warm and humid place for the fungus to grow. It finds a nearby leaf and clamps its jaws onto the underside of a leaf, in a "death grip". Afterwards, a mushroom bursts out of the ant to release its spores. If any ant touches the airborne spores, they become the next generation of zombie ants.

Fredericksen and colleagues inspected infected ants, expecting to observe brain damage caused by the brain manipulation. But instead of the brain, it was the muscles that were filled with fungal mycelia. It turns out that the fungus severs the connection between the brain and limbs, and then directly controls the muscles.

As Ed Yong wrote in The Atlantic, "The ant ends its life as a prisoner in its own body. Its brain is still in the driver's seat, but the fungus has the wheel."

[music_echo]

“One last short before I sleep”
This is the short I land on 😭

[Commander-Spiff]

Holy frick that’s creepy. Imagine having someone control your limbs for you, and all you an do is watch…

[Roy_Boy.]

A villian origin story is about to happen from this

[mrgopnik]

That's honestly even more terrifying than Last of Us. At least there the person is already a goner.

[daniel_wilkinson]

Please cite the exact paper. If there's anything watching Hank Green has taught me is to be skeptical of any findings that haven't been peer reviewed and duplicated at least a half dozen times. That person you're citing in your captions at :53 is a Mathematics Professor at the University of York, UK. And a quick scan of his 91 published papers mentions NOTHING about ants or fungus.

[amirordibi]

You can actually hear the infected cry during lot pt1

[Gooseman]

Yep, manipulating my algorithm to cats again

[franktheexpertstrenchclub]

My Tik Tok on this MONTHS again is… less professional.