Latest news with #Paleoophiocordyceps
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
‘The Last of Us' cretaceous edition? 99-million-year-old amber traps ‘zombie' fungus from insect brains
A 99-million-year-old piece of amber has preserved a haunting moment of nature: a fly with a parasitic fungus bursting from its head. Another piece trapped an ant similarly infected, offering two of the oldest examples of 'zombie fungi' in the fossil record. These fungi, belonging to the genus Ophiocordyceps, are known for hijacking their hosts' bodies before killing them. The specimens were discovered by researchers at Yunnan University in China, who used microscopes and 3D imaging to study the amber, according to a study published June 11 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, CNN reported. Lead author Yuhui Zhuang described the fossils as rare. 'Amber gives us this opportunity to visualize the ancient ecological relationships preserved in fossils,' he told CNN. The fly and ant were infected with newly identified species: Paleoophiocordyceps ironomyiae and Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae, respectively. These fungi are relatives of modern 'zombie-ant' fungi, made famous by the HBO show 'The Last of Us'. The fossils suggest that complex ecological interactions, including parasitic manipulation, were already present in the Cretaceous period. 'It appears that ants were targeted early for zombification,' said Conrad Labandeira of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, who was not involved in the study, the CNN reported. The fungi likely killed their hosts before the insects became trapped in sticky tree resin, which eventually fossilized into amber. This process allowed an extremely rare glimpse into ancient parasitic behavior. Scientists say such parasitic fungi played a critical role in shaping insect populations over millions of years. Phil Barden, an expert on amber fossils at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, called the fossils a window into 'the strangeness of the natural world' even during the time of dinosaurs. The amber was sourced from Myanmar's markets prior to 2017, the study said, before the country's civil conflict escalated. Ethical concerns have been raised in recent years about the trade of Burmese amber due to links to conflict funding.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
The Last of Us zombie fungus has been around since the dinosaurs
A new study indicates the mind-controlling " zombie" fungus, Ophiocordyceps, which inspired video game and television show 'The Last of US' emerged about 133 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. Researchers identified two new fungal species, Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae and Paleoophiocordyceps ironomyiae, preserved in 99-million-year-old amber from northern Myanmar. One of these species, P. gerontoformicae, was found with an infected ant pupa, displaying structural features consistent with modern Ophiocordyceps species. These fossil discoveries provide some of the oldest direct evidence of parasitic relationships between fungi and insects, predating previous estimates for the fungus's emergence. The findings suggest the fungal genus may have initially parasitised beetles before shifting to infect ants, offering new insights into the coevolution of fungi and their insect hosts.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Zombie' Fungus Caught Bursting From Host Bodies 99 Million Years Ago
Scientists have caught ancient parasitic fungi in the act of bursting from insect hosts, in dramatic scenes frozen in amber. Dating back almost 100 million years, these two specimens are among the oldest evidence of 'zombie' fungus, second only to one early-Cretaceous species discovered back in 2008. Amber forms over millions of years from the sticky resin of trees, and is renowned for the many bizarre, unique, and enlightening moments it has preserved. These two pieces, now in the hands of the London Natural History Museum, include the new fungus species Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae, with its tiny spore stalks sprouting from the body of a pupating ant, and P. ironomyiae, in the form of a singular, phallic fruiting body protruding from a fly's head. Related: These newfound species appear to share traits with living relatives, Ophiocordyceps, that continue to infect insects as a means of spreading their spores. Scientists think the Paleoophiocordyceps species may have separated from Ophiocordyceps around 130 million years ago. "The fossil evidence shows that the infectious fungi were already adapted to two different insect hosts a hundred million years ago, an ant and a true fly," says paleoentomologist Edmund Jarzembowski from the Natural History Museum. "This suggests that the fungus made this jump to other insects as they diversified with the rise of flowering plants and new insect groups, especially moths and butterflies." The research is published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 100-Million-Year-Old Rock Reveals 40 Never-Before-Seen Squid Species Sea Slugs Steal Body Parts From Prey to Gain Their Powers Earth Is Pulsing Beneath Africa Where The Crust Is Being Torn Apart
India.com
27-06-2025
- Science
- India.com
Before Humans, a Fungus Was Making Zombies: A 99-Million-Year-Old Fly Found Trapped in Amber Proves It
99 million years ago, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. In a haunting scene preserved in ancient tree resin, A tiny fly had a deadly fungus growing out of its head, a clear sign that it had been turned into a 'zombie.' The fungus had taken control of the fly's body before killing it. Now, scientists have discovered this scene, showing that the idea of zombie-like infections isn't just made up for movies, it actually happened in nature, long ago. In 100-million-year-old amber from Myanmar, scientists discovered a scene straight out of a horror movie: a fly and an ant, both frozen in time with fungus bursting through their heads. The twisted growths are the fruiting bodies of an ancient fungus called Ophiocordyceps, the same kind that still takes over ants' minds today, turning them into real-life 'zombies' before killing them. Scientists have also found another ancient fungus named Paleoophiocordyceps, which just doesn't kill its targets, it actually takes control of their bodies after death. This fungus made the dead insects move and twitch, helping it spread its spores to new places. The strange things growing out of the heads of ants and flies? Those are the fungus's fruiting bodies, the part it uses to reproduce. A Real-Life Zombie Story from the Dinosaur Age Using 3D scans on insects trapped in amber, researcher Yuhui Zhuang and his team discovered two new types of this fungus: Palaeophiocordyceps gerontoformica and Palaeophiocordyceps ironomaia. This shows that 'zombie-like' behavior in insects is nothing new infact it's been around for millions of years. Poor Ants Are Usually the Victims But today, this eerie fungus only goes after ants, takes over their brains and makes them climb to high places before it kills them, allowing its spores to spread widely. But in this rare discovery, it wasn't an ant that got infected, it was a fly. Finding a fly preserved like this in tree resin is extremely unusual, which is why scientists are especially thrilled. It offers a rare and fascinating glimpse into how this mind-controlling fungus behaved millions of years ago. These insects had most likely died before being trapped in the sticky tree resin, which helped preserve both their bodies and the terrifying fungal growths in remarkable detail even after nearly 100 million years. This incredible discovery has amazed scientists, offering proof that bizarre and eerie events, the kind we usually see in horror movies, have actually been part of nature's story for millions of years. The idea of a fungus turning its victims into mindless puppets isn't just science fiction, it's a real and ancient nightmare from Earth's past.
News18
26-06-2025
- Science
- News18
Zombie Fungus Found In 99-Million-Year-Old Amber; Infects Insects (For Now)
Last Updated: 99 million-year-old amber reveals a 'zombie fungus' that controlled insects' behaviour, proving nature's horror stories existed long before modern fiction Imagine a horror story frozen in time: 99 million years ago, during the reign of the dinosaurs, a gruesome scene was immortalised in sticky tree resin that still sends shivers down the spine. A fungus's bloody tendrils burst from the head of a fly, revealing a 'zombie virus' had taken full control. Scientists have now brought this eerie tale to light, proving that zombie shows are far from mere fiction; they echo a very ancient, very real natural phenomenon. In the amber of Myanmar, dating back nearly 100 million years, two insects, a fly and an ant, were found in a state so macabre it looks like a horror film poster. Fungus had torn through their heads, its fruiting bodies sprouting grotesquely, revealing the ancient 'Ophiocordyceps' fungus known to puppet ants even today. In another surprising discovery, scientists found an ancient fungus named Paleoophiocordyceps doesn't just kill its prey and move on; it turns the poor insect's corpse into a puppet, making it twitch and move, spreading fungal spores far and wide. What looks like strange growths emerging from the heads of the fly and ant? That's the fungus's 'fruiting body', the very apparatus it uses to reproduce. 'Zombie Apocalypse' Of The Dinosaur Era This discovery reveals that body-snatching mind control isn't a modern sci-fi fantasy but something nature has perfected since the Cretaceous period, the age of dinosaurs. Scientist Yuhui Zhuang and his team used a 3D micro-CT scan on the amber samples and unveiled two new fungal species, Palaeophiocordyceps gerontoformica and Palaeophiocordyceps ironomaia. These insects had likely already perished before being trapped in resin, which explains how their bodies, and the fungus's gruesome growths, remain astonishingly well-preserved after nearly 100 million years. This extraordinary find astounds scientists and confirms that eerie, almost cinematic phenomena have been part of Earth's natural history for millennia. The idea of a fungus turning its victims into puppets isn't just fiction from films or TV series; it's a chilling truth that's been lurking beneath our feet for millions of years. First Published: June 26, 2025, 15:12 IST
