A Fungus That Can Hijack Minds — and 6 Other Strange Fungal Abilities Experts Are Still Untangling
Fungi exhibit a range of remarkable abilities that challenge our understanding of life. Some species can manipulate the behavior of insects, while others form extensive underground networks for communication. Additionally, fungi are genetically closer to animals than to plants, highlighting their unique role in ecosystems.
- ▪Fungi can control the minds and behaviors of insects, such as the zombie-ant fungus that alters carpenter ants' actions.
- ▪The largest organism in the world is a fungus, Armillaria ostoyae, which spans 2,385 acres and weighs up to 35,000 tons.
- ▪Fungi are genetically and evolutionarily closer to animals than to plants, sharing part of their lifecycle with them.
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With an estimated five million species found around the world, according to a study in Scientific Reports, fungi inhabit nearly every corner of the world’s most remote and wild places. Fungi have also developed an impressive arsenal of abilities that help them thrive, from glowing in the dark to potentially helping them battle climate change. “Fungi live and interact with nature on the microscopic level. As a result, the natural world becomes a lot bigger in terms of the habitats and niches they can interact with,” Andrew Wilson, associate curator of mycology at the Denver Botanic Gardens, told Discover.Fungi don’t just survive in extreme environments — they reshape scientists’ understanding of life’s capabilities.
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