Suicide by parasite...

[ecoli73]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/cat-parasite-toxoplasma-uses-trojan-horse-to-infect-human-brain-and-may-cause-suicidal-thoughts-and-risktaking-8390165.html

Very interesting piece...

I wonder how selective evolution work in this...a parasite evolves such that it causes its victims(mice) to be suicidal so it can be eaten by it's main predator(cats) and thus completes its life cycle in it. And it is not unique in the world...I believe some snail's parasite infects snails eye stalk to let it become pulsating beacons and advertise the birds to eat it so it can get into bird's body to complete its life cycle.

Of course a cynical mind start to think bio weapons

 

[bottles]

Just posting to read the article later since I'm at work.
I remember seeing the snails that you're talking about on a BBC documentary a while back. Pretty interesting.

 

[RWaltman]

Kinda reminds me of the "zombie ants"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis

Neat stuff! How can such a simple organism become so controlling and so...so...SMART? what gives the infection the ability to control the mice into suicide? Just crazy stuff...we know so little about nature. Thanks for the great read!

 

[Ryan144]

I've always wondered how something like that could evolve

 

[Chrisplosion]

 

[tomomothy]

Zombie apocalypse here we come...but this is crazy. Seems like something The Onion would have dreamed up

 

[Fat Homer]

I've heard of the snails and ant one, but dang, now mice too...


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[MTBjake]

View attachment 855751

Aaahahahaha


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[cmsbthebest]

I've read about that mouse one, its nature at its finest. People talk about how it could evolve and harm humans, but I highly doubt it, unless it took hundreds or even thousands of years.

 

[ecoli73]

Maybe there is some truth about the stereotypical cat lady image...


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