Cordyceps fungi are something out of a low budget, 80’s horror film about aliens and zombies. People that learn about Cordyceps for the first time are as captivated, as they are unsettled. In fact, if you type in to a google search bar, “can Cordyceps,” one of the top google suggestions completes the phrase with “infect humans.” This genus of fungus is that bizarre, and a new fossil suggests that they have been functioning in ecosystems for quite a long time.

All Cordyceps fungi are parasitic, with most infecting insects. Out of more than 400 species of Cordyceps fungus, only a small percentage parasitize other fungi. Evolutionarily speaking, this isn’t that crazy of a jump, since fungi and insects alike are made up of the polysaccharide chitin. Thus, Cordyceps can use the enzyme chitinase that breaks down the bonds between chitin molecules in both types of organisms.