時差N小時:螞蟻感染真菌變"僵尸“(上)

Scientists have found zombie ants inthe Brazilian rainforests. How can that be? The ants are infected by a fungus. As a matter offact, scientists have just found four new species of the zombie creating fungus,Ophiocordyceps. You are telling me the fungus turns out the answer to the zombies. Fungiproduce little seed like particles called spores. If an ant gets infected by one, the fungushijacks its brain. Instead of doing its normal chores, the ant starts searching for the ideallocation for the fungus to grow. It's not just wonder? No. Scientists have found that infectedants go to specific locations: beneath leaves on the north sides of plants, about ten inchesabove the ground, in 94-95% humidity, and at 77-86 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures.

科學(xué)家在巴西發(fā)現(xiàn)了“僵尸螞蟻”，那是怎么回事?原來螞蟻感染上一種真菌。事實上，科學(xué)家剛剛已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了能產(chǎn)生真菌的4種新物種。真菌就是螞蟻變僵尸的原因。真菌會產(chǎn)生叫 “孢子”的微粒，如果螞蟻感染上真菌，真菌就會控制螞蟻的大腦。感染后螞蟻不會做正常的活動，而是去尋找真菌生長的理想環(huán)境。這不令人吃驚嗎?不?？茖W(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)被感染的螞蟻會去特定的地方：在植物北側(cè)的葉片下面，距離地面大概10寸高，處在94%-95%的濕度，和77-86的華氏溫度中。

fungus n.菌類

fungus n.真菌

particle n.微粒

hijack v.劫持

chore n.活兒