Zombie ant controlled by fungus (source)The fungus-controlled zombie ant is one of nature’s greatest wonders. A fungus (e.g.O. Unilateralis) is inhaled by an ant (e.g.Camponotus Leonardi), and begins to grow inside its body. Eventually the fungus infests the brain of the ant, causing it to drunkenly wander, periodically convulse, climb up a leaf and clamp down on its ridge. Once the ant is securely in place, the fungus devours the brain and innards of the ant and grows out the back of its head often (but not always) releasing its spores onto the ground below. Un-freaking-believable, right?
As if this wasn’t amazing enough, it’s not like it is only one fungus species that infects only one ant species. There are many of these fungi and they infect many different kinds of insect, but somehow maintain a species specificity. In other words, fungus#1 can infect SpeciesX, but not SpeciesY, and Fungus#2 infects SpeciesY, but not SpeciesQ, and so forth.
So WHY does this happen? and HOW has no one looked at the brain cells of these ants?
Though no one has looked at the brains of these ants, Last year a paper painstakingly characterized their behavior under ‘fungi control’. The most interesting characteristics are:
- The ants display a ‘drunkard’s walk’ (the author’s words)
- The ants periodically spasm and fall down (if they are above ground level)
- The ants clamp down on the underside main vein of a leaf (never the side of the leaf, never the top) Interestingly they all bite down on the leaf around solar noon.
Figure 1, Hughes et al., 2011
This figure shows the behavior of several ants. Each ant was observed during the time of the horizontal blue bar. The black vertical lines and ‘spasms’ which caused the ants to fall down (gray stars), and the red triangles are when the ant bit down on the leaf ridge.
Because we have no idea how the fungus is manipulating the ant, let’s wildly speculate.
1.The Drunken Walk:
Why: The reason for this is not clear. The ant doesn’t go far, so the non-directional walking could be to keep it close to more ants.
How: The mechanism is also not clear, but usually an ants directional walking could be following a pheromone trail. The fungus could presumably cause random walking by confusing the ants ability to sense pheromones. It could possibly even cause ‘hallucinatory’ pheromone sensing.
2.The Periodic Spasms:
Why: The authors speculate that the purpose of these spasms is to keep the ant near the ground. The infect ants spend much more time on the ground level than the uninfected ants, and the spasms are often followed by a fall.
How:A fungus could essentially cause a seizure in the ants brain by manipulating potassium or calcium channels. On the other hand, I suppose the fungus could be acting directly on the muscles, causing them to twitch in an uncontrolled way.
3.The Clamping:
Why: This has an obvious function, to root the ant for ultimate fungal growth and dispersion.
How: First of all, biting and evenwalkingon leaves is not something these ants normally do. So the fungus isn’t just hijacking a behavior that the ant already has, it’s basically creating a new one. The correlation with solar noon indicates that a light or heat signal could contribute to the trigger, but basically nothing else is known about it. Interestingly, the clamping does not always have to be one single event either. A few of the ants clamped down on the leaf veinmore than once. The authors of this paper spend time discussing fungi’s direct effect on the mandible muscles of the ant.Figure 3 Hughes et al., 2011They show that the mandible muscles of the normal ant are fat and healthy (B), but the muscles of the infected ant are separated and reduced in size (C). Though this image is of an ant at the moment of biting, the authors suggests that the deterioration of the mandible muscle might be to prevent re-opening of the clamp. They do not speculate on how the clamp is initiated in the first place, or why it occurs at noon.
So please, fellow neuroscientists, somebody stain these brains! It’s just too fascinating to resist exploration. What proteins are altered? What is the receptor composition of behaviorally-specific neurons? Are the dendrites differently shaped?
[Dear Forgiveness, I saved a plate for you.]Richard Siken, from “Litany in Which Certain Things Are Crossed Out” (via the-final-sentence)
Quit milling around the yard and come inside.
lieutenantfinn: young male Bolivian Butterfly-Cichlid (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus)
(photo by neXib on Flickr)
![dendroica:
Reproductive parts of flowers by BioDivLibrary on Flickr.
The anatomy of plants. [London] : Printed by W. Rawlins, for the author, 1682..biodiversitylibrary.org/page/268205](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2qe3yQaZf1qzul89o1_500.jpg)
Reproductive parts of flowers by BioDivLibrary on Flickr.
The anatomy of plants.
[London] : Printed by W. Rawlins, for the author, 1682..
biodiversitylibrary.org/page/268205
(via scientificillustration)
![s-altywaves:
teen-for-lyfe:
captain-kimber:
mouss-e:
somepinkfluffy-dinosaur:
”THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.) Reblog this!
It seems that alot of attackers use some tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such asituation. Everyone should read this especially each n every girl in this world. THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG…FYI - Through a rapist’s eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle.They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.6] Number three is public restrooms.7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.———————————————————————————————————————————-POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk:can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow andarmpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told ourinstructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without usingmuch pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feellittle silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.——————————————————————————————————————————-FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go “hmm I must remember that” After reading forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/orpurse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may behiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.
DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT REBLOGGING THIS! IT COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.
I’ve taken personal defense courses and have not heard some of these. Seriously, this is worth your time.
sorry guys, I have to reblog this, it could actually save a life or help someone <3
Reblogging because everyone should read this.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lu7lwsOJZT1qc1gsio1_250.jpg)
”THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. it may save a life.) Reblog this!
It seems that alot of attackers use some tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves when faced with such a
situation. Everyone should read this especially each n every girl in this world. THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG…
FYI - Through a rapist’s eyes! A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle.
They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.
5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.
6] Number three is public restrooms.
7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.
8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:
1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk:
can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would
not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and
armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.
5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our
instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.
6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using
much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel
little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
——————————————————————————————————————————-
FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….
I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go “hmm I must remember that” After reading forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.
2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or
purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be
hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .
b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.
DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT REBLOGGING THIS! IT COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.
I’ve taken personal defense courses and have not heard some of these. Seriously, this is worth your time.
sorry guys, I have to reblog this, it could actually save a life or help someone <3
Reblogging because everyone should read this.
(via chewdas)
A Yellow Marmot (Marmota flaviventris) seen on top of Mount Dana, Yosemite, CA, USA. The road in the background is Tioga Pass Road.
(photo: Inklein)
The Himalayan Marmot (Marmota himalayana) is a marmot found in the Himalayan regions ranging in elevation from 300 to 4,500 m (980 to 14,800 ft). They are about the size of a large housecat, and live in colonies. M. himalayana is closely related to the woodchuck, the hoary marmot and the yellow-bellied marmot. It has a dark chocolate-brown coat with contrasting yellow patches on its face and chest… (read more: Wikipedia)
(photo: T - near Jangothang, Bhutan by Christopher Fynn; B - near Ganda La, Ladakh, India by Balachandran Chandrasekharan)
.jpg)
Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata), Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA
(photo: Eemeli Haverinen)
Groundhog aka Woodchuck (Marmota monax)
by National Geo
The groundhog is one of 14 species of marmots. These rodents live a feast-or-famine lifestyle and gorge themselves all summer to build up plentiful reserves of fat. After the first frost, they retreat to their underground burrows and snooze until spring, drawing their sustenance from body fat. While hibernating, the animal’s heart rate plunges, and its body temperature is not much warmer than the temperature inside its burrow.
Groundhog hibernation gave rise to the popular American custom of Groundhog Day, held on the second of February every year. Tradition dictates that if a groundhog sees its shadow that day, there will be six more weeks of winter, though such a prediction seems a sure bet over much of the groundhog’s North American range.
Groundhogs are the largest members of the squirrel family. Though they are usually seen on the ground, they can climb trees and are also capable swimmers. These rodents frequent the areas where woodlands meet open spaces, like fields, roads, or streams. Here they eat grasses and plants as well as fruits and tree bark. Groundhogs are the bane of many a gardener. They can decimate a plot while voraciously feeding during the summer and fall seasons. In the spring, females welcome a litter of perhaps a half dozen newborns, which stay with their mother for several months…
(read more: National Geo)
(photos: T - Marumari; BL - Melissa Farlow; BM - EIC; BR - Medeis)
Not just as funny as I expected me to be, but still it's me
