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Last Updated: Mar 3rd, 2011 - 19:09:03 |
Zombie ants? When you first hear about them, sound like something straight out of a science fiction movie, right? In an odd twist of science though, not only are zombie ants a reality - they are a growing problem in some areas of the Amazon rainforests.
Thanks to a unique parasitic fungus that has invaded the rainforests of Amazon, legions of ants that are walking the forest floor are risking their lives. Once on the floor of the rainforest, the ants are growing more likely to be infected by fungi that cause incredibly odd, zombie-like behaviors.
The fungus literally attacks the nervous system in the ants, causing them to act in a manner that helps to spread the fungus more. Some ants have been found to become suicidal, dropping from tree canopies and plummeting to the ground.
The scariest part of the science behind the fungus is that once an ant�s body has been taken over by the fungus, the fungus seizes control and causes the ant to die. Then, the fungus eats away at the ant�s brain and sprouts new fungal spores out of the host body�s head � causing the fungus to be spread more quickly.
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