relics and artifacts from the Lower Jurassic with an emphasis on those that

demonstrate unusual or curious technological qualities. On the other hand the Museum

serves the general public by providing the visitor a hands-on experience of "life in the

Jurassic"....



The Museum of Jurassic Technology traces its origins to this period when many of the

important collections of today were beginning to take form. Many exhibits which we

today have come to know as part of the Museum were, in fact, formally part of other

less well known collections and were subsequently consolidated into the single

collection which we have come to know as The Museum of Jurassic Technology and

thus configured, received great public acclaim as well as much discussion in scholastic

circles.



ant’s brain. The fungus then produces chemicals which act on the host’s brain and

alter its perception of pheromones. This causes the ant to climb a plant and, upon

reaching the top, to clamp its mandibles around a leaf or leaf stem, thus securing it

firmly to what will be its final resting place.



The fungus then devours the ant’s brain, killing the host. The fruiting bodies of the

fungus sprout from the ant’s head, through gaps in the joints of the exoskeleton. Once

mature, the fruiting bodies burst, releasing clusters of capsules into the air. These in

turn explode on their descent, spreading airborne spores over the surrounding area.

These spores then infect other ants, completing the life cycle of the fungus. Depending

on the type of fungus and the number of infecting spores, death of an infected insect

takes between 4-10 days.



If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books!

Click here .



If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please

email it to us at CFitzp@ a ol.com . If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of

your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10%

discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book.



Quiz #171 Results



**********



1. Megolaponera Foetens, or the Stink Ant of the Cameroon

2. A fungus that is growing out of the ant's head.

3. The Museum of Jurassic Art, 9341 Venice Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232



It's true - believe it or not!



**********



Comments and Questions?

Join our blog at www.forensicgenealogy.info/blog .



Answer to Quiz #171 - August 9, 2008



**********



This is an unusual insect from West Central Africa.

1. What is its name?

2. What is that thing coming out of its back?

3. Where would you find an exhibit in the U.S. describing the insect?



Your opinion: Do you believe the story about the insect's unusual death?



plant with its mandibles. Thus affixed, the ant waits to die. Ants that have met their

ends in this fashion are quite common in some sections of the forest.



The fungus continues to consume first the nerve cells and finally all the soft tissue that

remains of the ant. After approximately two weeks a spike appears from what had been

the head of the ant. This spike is about an inch and a half in length and has a bright

orange tip heavy with spores which rain down onto the rain forest floor for other

unsuspecting ants to inhale.



**********



How Eric Solved the Puzzle



The Museum of Jurassic Technology

9341 Venice Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232



I actually found the picture you used by googling "west central africa

insect spike" then, based on what I found, I googled "stink ant fungus"

and came up with the web site

http://www.mjt.org/exhibits/foundation _collections/stink_ant/stinkant.html

Another interesting adventure.

Eric Goforth



The carpenter ant in the picture on the right (genus

Campanotus), and the bullet ant in the first film clip linked

below (Paraponera clavata), have fallen victim to parasitic

fungi of the genus Cordyceps, which manipulate the

behaviour of their host in order to increase their own

chances of reproducing.



The spores of the fungus attach themselves to the external

surface of the ant, where they germinate. They then enter

the ant’s body through the tracheae (the tubes through

which insects breathe), via holes in the exoskeleton called

spiracles. Fine fungal filaments called mycelia then start to

grow inside the ant’s body cavity, absorbing the host’s

soft tissues but avoiding its vital organs.



When the fungus is ready to sporate; the mycelia into the



Parasitic Fungi

http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2006/11/20/brainwashed-by-a-parasite/



Get your own

Megolaponera Foetens T-shirt

Click here .



Fungus Campanotus



The carpenter ant in the first photograph

above has been infected by Cordyceps

unilateralis, which is but one of thousands of

species of entomopathogenic fungi, more than

400 of which belong to the Cordyceps genus.

Between them, these parasitic fungi infect at

least nine different orders of arthropods,

including the Odonata (dragonflies and

damselflies), Blattaria (cockroaches),

Hemiptera (aphids, cicadas and leafhoppers),



Click on thumbnail to see

video of gordian worm

emerging from a cricket.



Coleoptera (beetles), Phasmida (stick insects), Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps),

and Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). The host range of an individual species is,

however, restricted to one species or to a small number of closely related species.



Because they are considered as environmentally safe, natural mortality agents,

entomopathogenic fungi are used as biological pesticides to control pest species. For

example, Metarhizium anisopliae was first used over 100 years ago to try and control

the wheat grain beetle Anisoplia austriaca. More recently, researchers have investigated

the use of Metarhizium anisopliae, a species which infects the African mosquito

Anopheles gambiae, to control the spread of malaria.





Entomopathogenic fungi are not the only

parasites that can modify the behaviour of

their hosts. Equally remarkable is the

nematomorph hairworm Spinochordodes

tellinii, which is also known as the horsehair

worm or the gordian worm, because of its

resemblance to the knot created by the

Phrygian king Gorius. (According to myth,

Gordius used his knot to tie a chariot to a pole,



and declared that whoever could untie it would rule all of Asia.)



The juvenile gordian worm parasitizes land-living arthropods such as grasshopers,

locusts and beetles, but the adult is a free-living aquatic species which can only

reproduce in water. Inside the host, the microscopic larvae feed on surrounding tissue,

and develop into long worms which can reach up to 4 times the length of the host, and

which remain within the body cavity of the host as a long, coiled mass. After

metamorphosing, the adult worm induces its host to leave its terrestrial habitat, and to

commit suicide by jumping into water and drowning itself, so that the worm can

emerge.



David Biron and his colleagues have

used proteomics to characterise the

proteins synthesized by the gordian

worm in order to determine how it

manipulates its host's behaviour.





They have established that the worm synthesizes proteins which mimic those produced

by the insect. These include proteins of the Wnt family, which are involved in the

development of the nervous system, as well as others which interfere with the

neurotransmitter systems involved in the host’s geotactic behaviour (its oriented

movements in relation to the Earth’s magnetic field).



Because the genes encoding these proteins are contained in the worm’s genome, but

have a direct effect on the insect’s central nervous system when they are expressed,

the relationship between the gordian worm and its host is an example of what Richard

Dawkins called the extended phenotype, whereby genes expressed by one organism

have an effect on the appearance or behaviour of another. (Entomopathogenic fungi and

their hosts are also an example of an extended phenotype.)



Incredibly, the gordian worm

can survive predation on its host.

Parasites use various strategies

to survive host predation. For

example, some develop quickly,

in order to emerge from the host

before it is preyed upon.



Comments from Our Readers



Sure I believe the story...I had a boss one time just like the ant-tiny brain; usually turned

into a weido after luck; and on some days, grew horns and a pointed tail...but unlike the

ant, this guy will live forever! Rick Mackinney



*****

I believe the story, and it sounds terrible for the poor ants - and a horrible video to

boot? See link . I didn't like this one, I have to say - not into learning about how poor

creatures die; my imagination is bad enough. Beth Long



*****

I’m sooooo grossed out!!!! Lydia Sittman



*****

Boingboing,

Bing bam,

flim flam,

I think I have been had,

I smell a stink ant!!

Judy Pfaff



*****

I do believe it. I think Jurassic Technology's scientific names might be outdated or just

off. I couldn't find any credible info with them as starting points. MJT exhibit searches

do some spectacular looping. But I believe the BBC.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/sci_nat_enl_1214820829/html/1.stm .

The Planet Earth series did time-lapse video. Clip and discussion at:

http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2006/11/20/brainwashed-by-a-parasite/ . The

whole subject of parasites modifying behavior in a host is fascinating. Natural history

has plenty of nightmare material -- No need to shop anywhere else.



PS - Despite the BBC's wonderful April 1, 1957 film of the spaghetti harvest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyUvNnmFtgI . Rex Cornelius



*****

Ever since reading this, I've longed to see a video of the fungus at work on an ant.

Thanks to YouTube, my wish has been granted. It's from the BBC's "Planet Earth"

series, by the esteemed and beloved David Attenborough. Anna Farris



*****

The video is just unbelievable - even as I watched it I couldn't believe what I was

seeing! Awesome filming for sure!! I never knew anything like this existed!

Debbie Sterbinsky

*****

My opinion about the insect's unusual death: Of course it must be true, there is a video

of it on YouTube: http://laughingbone.blogspot.com/2007/08/mind-parasites-creature-

appears.html . Everyone knows that only true things are shown on YouTube! Or, I

could have a parasite in my head, too... Karen Kay Bunting



*****

How am I supposed to sleep after seeing that poor disturbed creature die such an awful

death. It is like something out of a Stephen King novel... I remember all of those old

videos they used to show us in school about germs where they actually zoom in on

your eyebrows and skin and such and show the creatures that live there. You leave the

room and you are sure that your skin is crawling!! It is the nastiest feeling. Who

wants to be reminded of the nasty creatures that we have living on our bodies?

Beneficial or not, it is just plain nasty and better left unknown.

Karen Kay Bunting (Again)

*****

Weird doesn't cut it! God surely had quite the imagination when designing some of the

crazy looking insects and animals (humans included!!) that are in nature. You know I

joked with you about not being able to sleep after this quiz and seeing the videos that

went along with the picture and about the nasty movies they used to make us watch in

school about the germs and "beneficial" bacteria that live on our bodies. Then, just the

other night after having done this quiz, one of the news shows aired an episode about

this man who had HPV and because of also having a very low immunity, the warts on

his body had literally grown out of control. The others in his community called him the

Tree Man because he literally looked like the bark of a tree and its roots because of

those warts growing so crazily. They had cut them off and they would grow back in

no time at all. It was the most bizarre looking thing. I felt such pity for the man.

Some other doctors also took pity on him and are trying to treat him. Talk about

weird! Well, I have officially had my fill of these creepy things for a while...

Karen Kay Bunting (x3)

*****

I believe the story as there are plenty of web references to the Cordyceps fungus

causing this phenomenon in ants and other species of insects. One could go nuts trying

to sort out all the ants in the world. This is a memorable quiz in that it leads off in so

many interesting directions. It even has a t-shirt for those who want to celebrate a

correct solution www.threadless.com/submission/48470/Megolaponera_Foetens .

Carolyn Cornelius

*****

I don't know that I can believe every last detail of the stink ant vs. fungus spores;

however, www.snopes.com does not indicate that this is an urban legend, but, this

does have a tinge of science fiction. But, isn't it typically the case where truth is

stranger than fiction? It's a crazy world, and we've seen the pictures to prove it!

Kelly Fetherlin

*****

Do I believe in its unusual death? Why not?--I'd never seen an ant with a fungus

protruding from its brain before, so I guess it's not that much of a stretch. The fact

that it has a cry audible to human ears is disturbing in a way I can't even begin to

explain . . . yuck! :-) Merry Gordon





*****

Opinion: Having seen video in the Planet Earth series of the unusual death of these ants

I do believe the story. It is very good footage... and rather creepy - akin to zombies in

my opinion. Brian Kemp



*****

Mmm, interesting, at this point I believe it's a hoax, but I'm still looking around and I

find some similar situations that I do not know that are facts or again speculations, I'll

continue searching. Claudio Trapote



*****

My Opinion: Yes. It's analogous to abnormal behavior in humans and/or animals who

have a brain tumor. There simply isn't enough room for any extra growths in either

case! Caroline Pointer



*****

Not knowing a thing about insects, I don't have any reason to doubt the explanation of

fungus infecting and killing the ant. Sounds okay to me. Sandy Thompson



*****

Yes I do, but what a way to go. Just remember there are brain diseases which affect us

also such as Alzheimers which claimed my mother 5 weeks ago. Alan Cullinan



*****

Opinion: Yes. However, some other exhibits in the museum, don't convert all to the

"seeing is believing" status. Stan Read



*****

Opinion: it's a beastly way to die, but there are many parasitic species in the world: I

believe it. It looks too much like how one of my migraines would feel.

Audrey Speelman



*****

I do believe the 'story'. Parasitic fungi are well known. You can even see a

video of one on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCOQ0VU24xw .

Karl Bossard



*****

Do I believe this story? Yes.I am sure stranger things have happened in the tropical rain

forest. Dan Schlesinger



*****

DYK? The combined weight of the earth's ants outweighs that of humans. From a

London news source called The Independent, that was certainly the most interesting

information I found during my search. Also, a pretty cool illustrated guide to the

"Many Faces of West African Ants" can be found at www.antbase.org/ants/africa/summary2 .

While I'm not sure how credible the "Museum" is, I do believe in the power of fungus.

I read somewhere that fungus seems to choose a host group depending on how prolific

that group is. Lynden Cline



*****

It's a great story. If it's not true, it should be. Lois Carr



*****

Yes...(but almost sounds like science fiction). I have seen videos of the cordyceps "in

action". Very Creepy! Carl Blessing



*****

Fascinating! Randy Seaver



More about African Ants

Click here .



Grasshoppers and crickets are preyed upon by fish and frogs; the gordian worm can

escape this predation by wriggling out of the mouth, nose or gills of the predator once it

has emerged from a host that has been eaten.



**********



The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles,

California is an educational institution dedicated to the

advancement of knowledge and the public appreciation

of the Lower Jurassic.



Like a coat of two colors, the Museum serves dual

functions. On the one hand the Museum provides the

academic community with a specialized repository of



Fish Story



Bernard Maston,

Donald R. Griffith

and the

Deprong Mori of the

Tripiscum Pleateau



The Museum, however, not content to rest on its laurels, kept pace with the changes in

sensibility over the years. Except for the periods of the great wars in this century

(when twice portions of the collection were nearly lost) the Museum engaged in a

program of controlled expansion. Walking through the Museum, the visitor experiences,

as it were, a walk back in time. The first exhibits encountered are the contemporary

displays and reaching the far end of the Museum, the visitor is surrounded by the

earliest exhibits.



Although the path has not always been smooth, over the years The Museum of Jurassic

Technology has adapted and evolved until today it stands in a unique position among the

institutions in the country. Still even today, the Museum preserves something of the

flavor of its roots in the early days of the natural history museum - a flavor which has

been described as "incongruity born of the overzealous spirit in the face of

unfathomable phenomena."



"Glory to Him, who endureth forever, and in whose hands are the keys of unlimited

Pardon and unending Punishment."



Congratulations to Our Winners!



Brian Kemp Carolyn Cornelius

Rex Cornelius Karen Kay Bunting

Anna Farris Judy Pfaff

Stan Read Fred Stuart

Karl Bossard Beth Long

Kelly Fetherlin Carolyn Pointer

Dan Schlesinger Lynden Cline

Betth Chambers Debbie Sterbinsky

Lydia Sittman Eric Goforth

Gary Sterne Claudio Trapote

Sandy Thompson Merry Gordon

Rick Mackinney Allan Culllinan

Rick Norman Audrey Speelman



Megolaponera Foetens

The Stink Ant of the Cameroon

http://www.mjt.org/exhibits/foundation_collections/stink_ant/stinkant.html



Our planet's rain forests—rich matrices of life which exist primarily

in tropical regions—provide us with unique opportunity to observe

life in all of its manifold and perplexing beauty. Most rain forests date

back some two to three hundred million years. This extreme age has

allowed many unusual and complex relationships to develop among

the inhabitants of these tropical ecosystems.



In the rain forest of the Cameroon in West Central Africa lives a floor

dwelling ant known as Megaloponera foetens, or more commonly,



the stink ant. This large ant—one of the very few to produce a cry audible to the

human ear—lives by foraging for food among the fallen leaves and undergrowth of the

extraordinarily rich rain forest floor.



On occasion one of these ants, while looking for food is infected by inhaling a

microscopic spore from a fungus of the genus Tomentella. After being inhaled, the

spore seats in the ant's tiny brain and begins to grow, causing changes in the ant's

patterns of behavior. The ant appears troubled and confused; for the first time in its life



the ant leaves the forest floor and begins to climb.



Driven on by the growth of the fungus, the ant embarks

on a long and exhaustive climb. Completely spent and

having reached a prescribed height, the ant impales the



The World is Bound

With Secret Knots

The Life and Works of

Athanasius Kircher



Click on thumbnail to go to exhibit website.



**********



Mr. Wilson's Cabinet

Of Wonder: Pronged

Ants, Horned Humans,

Mice on Toast, and

Other Marvels of

Jurassic Technology

(Paperback)

Buy now.



Click on thumbnail to see

video of gordian worm

emerging from a frog.



Click on thumbnail to see

video of gordian worm

emerging from a cricket.



**********



To see animation of

Megaloponera foetens,

click here .

