Unreal amber fossils show “Our Last” zombie fungus horrors insects during the Cretaceous period
In video games Our last one And its derived HBO series of humans fight against Cordyceps, a parasite that turns its host into zombies. Although infections are widely promoted in games and performances, these fungi are more than science fiction. In fact, some species have existed since the age of dinosaurs, a new study shows.
International researchers led by Yuhui Zhuang, a doctoral student in paleontology at Yunnan University in China, recently discovered two insects infected by Cordyceps trapped in 99 million amber. Fossil flies and ant pa are one of the oldest fossil records of animal disease fungi, dating back to the Cretaceous period. More importantly, these insects were infected by two kinds of fungi of science, now named Ancient hybrid creatures gene image and Paleoplant iRonomyiae. The researchers published their findings on June 11 in the Proceeding of the Royal Society B journal articles.
“Overall, at least of the thousands of amber specimens we’ve seen, only a few retain the symbiotic relationship between fungi and insects,” Zhuang told CNN.
Amber comes from northern Myanmar and has been suffering from violent conflict since 2017 due to the boom in fossil amber research. The study noted that the specimens used by the authors were purchased before 2017 and to the best of their knowledge, they were not involved in any conflict.
Zhuang and his colleagues used optical microscope to examine fossil insects and then constructed their 3D images using X-ray imaging technology called microcomputed tomography. This reveals a surprising aspect of insect infection.
The researchers determined that both newly discovered fungal species belong to the genus ophiocordycepswhich also includes a species commonly known as zombie ant fungus. This name comes from the ability to control the behavior of the host. In the final stage of infection, the fungus seizes control of the insect’s brain, allowing it to seek higher positions in the sun and warm conditions, which is the best condition for spore production. Once the insect dies, fungal growth breaks out from the head and begins to release spores that infect new victims.
Fossil flies are preserved in this state P. Ironomyiae Explosion from the head. Different from the typical late stage ophiocordyceps Infection usually produces a fruit body with smooth tips and swelling, P. IronomyiaeThe fruit body is future and textured. Infected ant pupa P. gerontroformicaeeven more unusual. The fungus did not appear from the head of the pup, but burst out from the thyroid gland, producing antibacterial secretions. This has never been observed in any known species ophiocordycepsthe researchers noted. These differences suggest they may be looking at two species that have never been seen before.
When they compare the structure and growth patterns of these fungi with known ophiocordyceps The researchers found clear features that linked them to the genus, but could not match any recorded species. They use modern DNA ophiocordyceps Establishing phylogenetic species is a visual representation of the evolutionary history of the genus, and then estimating the location of newly discovered species different from relatives.
Analysis leads to ophiocordycepsHistory shows that it originated in the early Cretaceous period and began to infect beetles. It then evolved to infect butterflies, moths, and other insects (including bees and ants) until the middle belongs to the middle. The researchers concluded that during the Cretaceous period, prosperous diversity and abundant insect host species may drive the rapid emergence of new egg-generating species.
According to the Natural History Museum in London, the evolutionary history of parasitic fungi proved difficult due to the lack of ancient specimens, one of the institutions that contributed to the study. “It’s also interesting to see some of the strangeness of the natural world we see today,” museum associate scientist Edmund Jarzembowski said in a statement. This discovery makes the rise of these highly adaptive fungal pathogens rare.
