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Raistlin
Moderator
Nation Reputation: 67
 |  Subject: Zombie Ants. WTFBBQ!? Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:42 pm | |
| Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/pictures/110303-zombie-ants-fungus-new-species-fungi-bugs-science-brazil/ | Quote: | A stalk of the newfound fungus species Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani, grows out of a "zombie" ant's head in a Brazilian rain forest.
Originally thought to be a single species, called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the fungus is actually four distinct species—all of which can "mind control" ants—scientists announced Wednesday.
The fungus species can infect an ant, take over its brain, and then kill the insect once it moves to a location ideal for the fungi to grow and spread their spores.
(Related pictures: ""Zombie" Ants Controlled, Decapitated by Flies.")
All four known fungi species live in Brazil's Atlantic rain forest, which is rapidly changing due to climate change and deforestation, said study leader David Hughes, an entomologist at Penn State University.
Hughes and colleagues made the discovery after noticing a wide diversity of fungal growths emerging from ant victims, according to the March 2 study in the journal PLoS ONE.
"It is tempting to speculate that each species of fungus has its own ant species that it is best adapted to attack," Hughes said.
"This potentially means thousands of zombie fungi in tropical forests across the globe await discovery," he said. "We need to ramp up sampling—especially given the perilous state of the environment."
—Matt Kaplan
Published March 3, 2011
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CobaltMonkey
Dark Lord of the Sixth
Nation Reputation: 154
Character sheet
Name: Cobalt the destroyer
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eattheword
Dark Lord of the Sixth
Nation Reputation: 97
| | Subject: Re: Zombie Ants. WTFBBQ!? Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:58 pm | |
| I just got the game Zombie Farm for my new iPhone. __________________________Etw. NOT 7 years old. - Click to hide/reveal
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Six
Dark Lord of the Sixth
Nation Reputation: 136
| | Subject: Re: Zombie Ants. WTFBBQ!? Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:19 pm | |
| | eattheword wrote: | | I just got the game Zombie Farm for my new iPhone. |
I heard about that game.__________________________ |
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Lod
Dark Lord of the Sixth
Nation Reputation: 119
Character sheet
Name: Liam
| | Subject: Re: Zombie Ants. WTFBBQ!? Mon Mar 07, 2011 4:51 am | |
| Annnnnd its starting, real life plants vs zombies. __________________________| Quote: | | "I agree with all Liam has said so far" - Seyel |
| Quote: | | "Sorry Cel I agree with everything Liam has said so far." - Rrwatch |
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SpongeBobNoPants
Loyalist
Nation Reputation: 19
| | Subject: Re: Zombie Ants. WTFBBQ!? Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:15 am | |
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eattheword
Dark Lord of the Sixth
Nation Reputation: 97
| | Subject: Re: Zombie Ants. WTFBBQ!? Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:28 am | |
| | Six wrote: | | eattheword wrote: | | I just got the game Zombie Farm for my new iPhone. |
I heard about that game. |
I deleted it. I was playing happily and got to the point where I wanted to plant a Daisy Zombie. "You don't have enough brains. Would you like to buy some brains?" says the game. So I head into the game's market to spend some of my game gold on brains only to find it wants to sell the brains to me for a very real £2.39. "No thanks", says I. Game deleted.__________________________Etw. NOT 7 years old. - Click to hide/reveal
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Lod
Dark Lord of the Sixth
Nation Reputation: 119
Character sheet
Name: Liam
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eattheword
Dark Lord of the Sixth
Nation Reputation: 97
| | Subject: Re: Zombie Ants. WTFBBQ!? Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:59 am | |
| you have to pay for it. I might buy Angry Birds but I am wedded to the concept of free apps. __________________________Etw. NOT 7 years old. - Click to hide/reveal
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Lod
Dark Lord of the Sixth
Nation Reputation: 119
Character sheet
Name: Liam
| | Subject: Re: Zombie Ants. WTFBBQ!? Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:03 am | |
|  Support the developers cause they gots hungry kids at home, and some of the developers are orphans. Fungus is freaky. I think I seen on the telly that reproduces by shooting seeds or whatever and they move faster than the camera or eye can follow and pew pew pew *Seed lands far away* __________________________| Quote: | | "I agree with all Liam has said so far" - Seyel |
| Quote: | | "Sorry Cel I agree with everything Liam has said so far." - Rrwatch |
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