The Real Life Spores Behind The Last Of Us Turns Ants Into Zombies

This isn’t science fiction, it’s science scary.
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CREDITS
Created by Dylan Dubeau
Executive Producer, Director, and Director of Photography: Dylan Dubeau
Host: Tasha The Amazon
Editors: Jim Pitts and Cat Senior
Producer: Andres Salazar
Writer: Lauren Greenwood
Camera Operator: Colin Cooper
Special Thanks to Dr. Pasco B. Avery, Ph.D.
Music From Audio Network
Future Zone
House on the Hill
Gangstaz Halloween
Farmers Market
Sad Cowboys
Thumbnail Image Courtesy Of:
Ian Suzuki
Via CC BY 3.0 - No Changes
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Exploring the World of Plants and Fungi.

[@AngellusBlack]

Fun fact: the Pokemon Paras and Parasect are based on this fungus and it's habit of taking over insects' bodies.

[@CTback]

Too bad it's pretty weak.

[@fredkaanapu8693]

I always appreciate a fun fact that's related to pokemon

[@treygreypaws3689]

I remember this. Galarian slowking kinda poison drunk

[@hotsandspicy]

Fun fact: This fungus mutated in the The Last of Us so that humans can also be infected with it.

[@Masterplanfoiler]

I think it should have a hidden ability that only affects bug type Pokemon

[@5avan10]

4: 21 "One thing is for sure: mind control is not one of the side effects of cordyceps." Yeah, right; sounds to me like something someone who's being controlled by cordyces would say!

[@jokuvaan5175]

Sus

[@jokuvaan5175]

That's what the fungi want you to think!

[@gelbzzurbabxx7005]

Kkjkkb kkkkkb, kkiik @kik ik kkkkkik ik ik iik ik ik ik ikik

[@chengkuoklee5734]

It was later reveal they don't mind control but body control.

[@fromearth6282]

Was expecting total disgust, but this was very entertaining and enlightening to the possible usefulness of these demonic fungii!

[@FrozenColress]

I learned about this fungi because of The last of us. What a fascinating fungi!

[@Berd]

more cordyceps, please

[@gomichow]

when will cordycep berd enter the berdverse?

[@sludgeskin]

aren't you streaming rn ayo

[@peanutbuttertoast7742]

Hi berd!

[@VulcanGray]

It's rare to see berd doing anything except shill gfuel

[@nyarparablepsis872]

Parasites are absolutely fascinating, and cordyceps in particular is amazing. I had no idea how wholesome the applications of cordyceps are - especially its use instead of pesticides shows that nature has such wondrous ways to keep balance. Wonderful video!

[@chris_iapetus]

Agreed. Learned new stuff & had fun doing so. Great vid !!

[@peggedyourdad9560]

It sounds amazing until we end up living in an irl version of The Last of Us, lol.

[@nyarparablepsis872]

@@peggedyourdad9560 You must be a really scared person if you are worried about that.

[@peggedyourdad9560]

@@nyarparablepsis872 Do you not know what a joke is? I was making a joke lol.

[@Genzafel]

"They dont take control of your mind, You are fully aware when your body is no longer yours"... yeah like how is that less scary?! X_x

[@XSemperIdem5]

So, like a demon from Supernatural.

[@SatanicPizza]

@@XSemperIdem5 Ayy. Someone who knows Supernatural! I know it's more well known within the internet. In person I only really know two other people who have heard of the series! Still cool finding someone who knows it too :)

[@mattgilbert7347]

@@SatanicPizza carry on, wayward son

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

Using Cordyceps as a natural pesticide is fascinating., but it does run the risk of the Cordycepts adapting to the plants they're supposed to protect.

[@jandl1jph766]

This process would be *far* slower than the actual effects we're observing with synthetic pesticides, though, if it happens at all. The way a plant works is so far removed from the way an insect works that it's unlikely (fungi and insects are a lot more similar, so this example doesn't really work). Even if it does eventually happen, the timescales involved are at least an order of magnitude apart.

[@KlavierMenn]

@@jandl1jph766 We share a common ancestor with the fungi. We're both Ophistokont.

[@jandl1jph766]

@@KlavierMenn If you look far enough down the evolutionary tree, you're always going to find a common ancestor (or at least the tangled web of universal common ancestry). So that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, really...

[@drg9812]

Does it actually have medicinal value (aka double blind study) or is it just used in "traditional medicine" ala rhino horn or pangolin scales

[@Dr_Jyotsna.Pandey]

I think the traditional medicine

[@BenjiSun]

see Cordycepin. plenty of western medicine have studied the potential effects of cordyceps militaris. can't say the same for rhino horn or pangolin scales.

[@nunyabiznes33]

That's pretty much most of "traditional" medicine.

[@alventuradelacruz522]

Imagine a new disease and pandemic but ....worse

[@drg9812]

@@alventuradelacruz522 Hmm eating these things... like... on purpose (eww) does seem like just how The Last of Us woulda started lol

[@shawnkhalifa8080]

one minute im learning about zombie outbreak from last of us, next im listening dope Amazonian music. this world never ceases to amaze me

[@quinn_griffin]

How about Skunk Cabbage? It melts through the snow in the spring, and is full of microscopic glass needle launchers.

[@SuperBC1975]

The Walking Ant Dead.

[@YuujiVermillion61]

There is a plant or better said tree that turns humans into zombies the borrachero tree, I was wondering if you've done a video on it if not it would be very interesting to see

[@samhaines8228]

nice transition, excellent suggestion. Vice did an interesting video exploring the borrachero & it's nefarious uses

[@ThePrufessa]

I think I've heard about this on another channel. Has some kind of toxin right?!

[@samhaines8228]

@@ThePrufessa contains chemicals (alkaloids) like scopolamine & hyoscyamine.

[@YuujiVermillion61]

@@samhaines8228 thank you I'll look it up on the channel

[@smokagaming491]

@@samhaines8228 ya I thought his definition sounded alot like scopoloamine reports, your the real mvp

[@dadlord689]

This one is probably is an ancient civilization weapon against insects. Perfect solution instead of pesticides.

[@pierreabbat6157]

O. unilateralis turned out to be a cryptic species complex, with many of the resulting species named O. camponoti-huius-istius-alii, because they attack the ants of species Camponotus hic-iste-alius. The common name of O. sinensis is yartsa gunbu (variously spelled depending on the language).

[@SomewhatDapperExtraterrestrial]

The fact that it only controls the body and the ant is still concious during the process makes it even more terrifying

[@cbsboyer]

One of my two favourite parasites, the other being toxoplasma gondii. Parasites are endlessly fascinating creatures once you get past the "ick" factor.

[@sarahusrey-ld4zu]

i know humans that are like that!

[@nunyabidniz2868]

But the important questions are: "Does it work on fire ants?" and "Where do you buy some?" 😁

[@michaelsimko7694]

It's always beneficial to have a more natural way of controlling pests instead of using pesticides full of harmful chemicals. Jimsonweed is an interesting late summer plant you should talk about

[@SilkyLew]

I don't what is worse. To be mind controlled or to be conscious while someone is controlling you.

[@runplatypus]

The bloaters are the worst. Runners are easy to kill but fast. Clickers, just use bottles or bricks to fool them. Never mess with the Rat King.

[@steveschritz1823]

There was a science fiction story called “The Voice in the Night” (Hodgson, 1907) that scared the hell out of me as a kid. Let’s just say there was fungus involved.

[@MayhemKeys]

Thank you. This is an area of research in our lab.

[@chris_iapetus]

Tell us more !! This is a super fascinating topic. Start a channel & post a couple simple vids. I bet it would find a healthy audience. So to speak.

[@mattle3]

Are we not talking about how a fungus knows how to move an ant? Making it essentially smarter than the ant?

[@Fink-id6yg]

Why is smart what comes to mind when contemplating instinct?

[@mattle3]

@@Fink-id6yg well it needs to know how to move an ant.. It has no brain so instincts are not a thing either, right? How does it know what muscles to move or where to attach to the ant??

[@anotherdayanotheranimation]

@@mattle3 Hmm... Could it be possible that the fungus also forms a sort of hive mind as it transitions into fungi? Like when there are just a few, they would only know how to replicate but when there are tons of them already then they learn to cooperate and control the body of one specific specie to prepare for their last phase?

[@mattle3]

@@anotherdayanotheranimation that sounds interesting, so how would they retain that knowledge? Is it baked in their DNA?

[@Fink-id6yg]

Does a dog need to know how it poops? No animal knows why it does what it does, it's instinct. The fungus does what it does to survive, it doesn't know why it does it how its done, it's instinct. Not intellect. It's not a brain race especially if it's a hive mind, no thought of what you imagine thinking is goes into it. It especially couldn't tell you where why and how it's working it's magic.

[@VxV631]

Tasha is such a great host xD she makes these videos so fun xD great video!

[@droiid123]

It is a matter of personal taste. I dont like her, she looks like hasbro troll, but its about personal opinion. Have a nice day.

[@missmarasmenstrualmuffmunc2085]

@@droiid123 I wouldn't mind finding out about the other pink places of her body...

[@raginirawat1915]

I love how Tasha talks.. her way of speaking, her expressions and all those mild puns too ofc make watching these videos soooo much fun.

[@Laserbeak316]

“Silence fills the empty grave, now that I have gone. But my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on.”

[@YouAreTheMusicInMe11]

I love when this talked about. Sometimes when discussing TLOU, people do not initially believe me when I tell them it's based off of a real fungus and what it does to insects.

[@roge1997]

Cordyceps then: infests brains of ants to mindcontrol them i order to grow Cordyceps now: waits for stoners and hipster cooks to cultivate it in growtents

[@lilom-ah]

cordyceps taking over just the body and not the brain sounds far more terrifying

[@CDev15]

4:40 Loved that Dexter reference!

[@adriangibson3153]

Hi Tasha i'd like to suggest the gympie-gympie (dendrocnide moroides) as the next video 😊

[@napoleonfeanor]

I once saw a documentary about Tibetan cordiceps collectors. Insane prices

[@Chas-OTE]

Cordyceps are both the coolest, and the most terrifying thing in nature for me. PS: A "fun guy" joke right at the very start? Really?

[@bradley8614]

You guys get a kick out of posting these horrifying thumbnails don't you?

[@mypal1990]

It's interesting the Cordyceps have some medicinal properties that help with respiratory function and energy. Himalayan Sherpas use these to give their oxen an energy boost when they need a pick me up.

[@dharrison6504]

You guys really should do an episode on siphonophore they’re so cool and would be amazing to draw

[@robertnichols2283]

Funny how y’all present info on fungi in Floralogic, when fungi are actually more closely related to animals than plants

[@NoahLavineASP]

Very funny indeed. Not something most people know.

[@kingplunger6033]

haha, I wanted to write the same comment. strange indeed

[@the_comfy_studioakawolfhor305]

Sorta reminds me of “The Breath Of Evil” from the Wings Of Fire book series.

[@7zaxo]

Tasha the Amazon and Floralogic are an awesome addition to the channel!

[@koltaire5938]

One of the most horrifying things I have ever watched

[@AlvisePeltreraLeoneProductions]

More The Last Of Us history please!

[@farrago6881]

I can't see this fungus without thinking of The Last of Us (groundbreaking video game and one of my favs). The fungus is the inspiration behind the story's post-apocalyptic world. The story is so good HBO is making a miniseries adaption of it with the game's creative director.

[@KarunaPreetiBaraKaku]

Just glanced about Cordyceps to be a type of medicinal mushroom that offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Even I want to know more about what makes them so beneficial

[@kn1-ght]

Atleast the ants die for some reason, I'm just glad its not another parasite species thats useless in all ways

[@aurorajones8481]

1:17 We are not far off from being targets to these little polyps. Our warm body heat is the largest factor keeping them away. For now. The thing is. Everything evolves and if the general temp on this planet is getting warmer things will adapt.

[@QUIRK1019]

Ah man I miss the Second Nature series' old footage clips of "Dylan Dubeau, Director Animalogic Laboratories, location unknown" intros.

[@javieraleman8150]

The girl with all the gifts! highly recommended this movie shows how this fungi takes over humanity!!! If something like that would ever happen humanity would be toast!!!!!

[@Kitty-hf6vq]

Bugs:in pain and mental agony because of this fungi Humans: hehe medicine go brrrr

[@user-wb7ez9ud4p]

Oh so the fungus doesn't actually control the mind, but forces the body against the mind's will, oh yeah I feel SO much better now.

[@bessiebraveheart]

Very interesting. I'm glad here in England my tarantulas are safe. Or are they?

[@XSemperIdem5]

I always wonder about what else could come in the mail when we order stuff from independent sellers online. An invasive species could crawl into the box and end up over here.

[@elif6908]

Still waiting for this to mutate with the rabies virus and bring the Zombie apocalypse Man I really feel we shouldn’t play with these guys but if they can replace pesticides it would be amazing, still horrifying tho

[@mattle3]

How is a fungus gonna mutate with a virus?

[@CommissarChaotic]

@@mattle3 when the virus turns into hirus

[@mattle3]

@@CommissarChaotic bruh 😂

[@fajaradi1223]

@@CommissarChaotic Fungi + Virus = Furus? Vingi?

[@nikk-named]

You should read "The girl with all the gifts" it's basically about this fungus, but it's using humans as hosts. It's a great take on post-apocalyptic zombie stuff

[@eunaekim9216]

That fungus is the 2020 and 2021 hurricane season, and those ants are the Gulf Coast of the United States!

[@NLMnt88]

Obligatory The Last of Us comment

[@chris_iapetus]

This is an awesome video. Fascinating topic, excellent presentation, host is fun & comfortable. Love it !!

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

Fascinating just how immensely horrifying nature is. If the Creator truly does exist then he has to be questioned about what the hell he was on when he came up with *this shit* !

[@gregoryballestero4369]

He was eating a diffrent type of fungi maybe the psilocybin cubensis (I think I spelled it right)

[@nos9784]

@@gregoryballestero4369 nah, it was a cordiceps fungus as well- forcing the creator to create the cordiceds fungi. Its so powerful it can work back through time! Also, we can now use this as fake proof that the creator is an insect. Fabulous! :D

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

The Girl with all the Gifts is a cool movie using them.

[@cactus9737]

Damn thats another check for apocalypse bingo

[@factenter6787]

Interesting that certain cordyceps are strong immunity boosters in humans

[@lilkapsas771]

"nope, this isnt science fiction, its science scary" got me

[@AP-uj2fg]

Tasha feels like a really cool older cousin who would take you on walks at family gatherings

[@Vizz2004]

*Last of us theme theme intensifies*

[@michaelmayhem350]

I just to moved to the dominican Republic from the USA and here on the island of Hispaniola there's these big beautiful blue wasps that prey on tarantulas. It would be cool if you did a video on these wasps

[@isabellah558]

Gimpy Gimpy plant would be interesting to see next

[@trainchugger53]

I swear at one point, the background music sounded like the "Sakkijarven Polkka".

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

I heard there were probably over _ten thousand_ cordyceps! One for each species of victim it finds. Poor things!

[@yishaqdavid2029]

Still have not covered the "Paw Paw fruit" yet like I was promised. There are about 60 videos about these damn fungus that zombify ants. Cmon Tasha do one on the Paw Paw fruit.

[@michaelriverside1139]

"They aren't making zombies, but puppets" ... Isn't that even worse?

[@jameswhatsit]

The scream in the bloopers reel is Tasha getting hijacked by cordyceps 😨

[@portermac5335]

Literally the halo flood, with the spores and everything

[@TheBlargMarg]

I feel like eating cordyceps would be the last thing to be putting into your digestive system since nature likes to evolve and all.

[@raraavis7782]

You would have to put a gun to my head, to even make me touch that thing, never mind voluntarily ingest it 👀

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

If evolution was true humans along with every other species on the planet would be long extinct. Or more actually would have never even existed because Darwinian evolution can't produce speciation. As we see in the fossil record of it being wholly absent. It's ridiculous how ubiquitous evolution mention is while not being a functional or worked out theory, yet assumed science has proven it to be by those who mention it.

[@ShannonCasul]

Here's a fun one to look into, the Gympie Gympie plant. I'd give you it's nickname but that will ruin the surprise for everyone else.

[@Cousinduck01]

This is the most scariest shit… Bro if this fungi comes out, we’re dead…

[@deathsnitemaresinfullust2269]

Oh ya! The inspiration of cordyceps is like Sci-Fi gold. There's a neat movie that was made a few years ago called The Girl With All The Gifts and it features a world where cordyceps have evolved to affect humans and turn them into zombie-like individuals that are violently triggered by the smallest scent of blood, and in a military research center they find a somewhat unique young girl amongst other children that i think were born infected or something but she still has the ability to control herself and can walk freely among other infected without being attacked. It's not the best movie ever, but it is pretty interesting, kinda scary a couple times, unique in some ways and overall just worth checking out if it isn't going to cost you a bunch of money to do so. 😄👍

[@endangeredmarmot4518]

Educational and fun, plus Tasha is a phenomenal presenter/educator!

[@yland6003]

Maybe you can talk about American beautyberries!

[@BCJAZZZ]

Using Cordyceps to help ppl in farming... next time... The Last of us Remake... :D

[@gasury8927]

2019 in china: hey let's breed pigs near those bats, nothing bad could possibly happen. 2022 in china: hey let's use these zombies fungus for medical purpose, nothing bad could possibly happen

[@kvd1]

This is one parasitic fungus that should be used for bio control for invasive ant species(mostly polygamous species?) Because polygamous ant species are much harder to kill than fire ants, and the only drawback is that the species we need for invasive ant species needs to be picky or else the the so called zombie fungus would attack native species.

[@peterolbrisch1653]

Spores. They could be on your head right now and you don't even know it.

[@wobinich2009]

Wait, Tasha the Amazon is doing nature documentaries too? Hell yeah

[@MrWallace484]

Damn nature you scary

[@MFGEEDORAH]

So, you are telling me, billions of year of ago this fungus control giant insects.......

[@wolfiedabrony1802]

You want to scare someone? Use nature, that's what naughty dog did when they made The Last of Us!

[@5daboz]

Fungi: Let's take over the world! Humans: Let's expose ourselves!

[@treylovesyahweh8581]

That stalk in the thumbnail is HUNG

[@trezlanell9328]

my skin crawled throughout the entire video

[@steel5315]

Honestly I think them turning the ants into puppets is actually creepier because that means the ant has to watch this fungus kill it

[@ButacuPpucatuB]

I’m very glad that I’m not an ant! (Informative! Thank you for this.)

[@Samdroid_]

That's something an ant would say

[@asfanshirim9769]

The mind stays the same? So the ant knows its being controlled and nothing it can do? That's even more horrifying.

[@Andreecals]

I don't really know where should I talk about this, but I really wanted to suggest an episode on termites, or ask if there has been such an episode in the past that was demonetized or something. They are really interesting and common animals, it's actually a bit weird not to see anything on them here. With all respect, love your channel S2

[@curisutabentley8238]

Parfait is delicious and onions are delicious, so I can't get on board with that analogy lol 😂 Thank you for sharing and I love seeing all the new videos from animalogic 💜

[@RosiePosey5150]

One of my favorite Chinese shows used there as props for the scene in the ancient doctor/pharmacy in the forbidden city.

[@zyibesixdouze4863]

If it's simulating muscle, how does it know where to go?

[@user-pn4py6vr4n]

It's quite possibly just seizing control and stepping on the gas, so to speak. Using the right sequence of movements, it could clumsily stumble upwards until it is high enough.

[@napoleonfeanor]

I'd love to hear more about Fungi and slimemolds

[@slcRN1971]

Wow, this was my first time watching one of you presentations (on this site) and I am impressed!! Great presentation. Loved your comment at 4:41 ....... basically are DEXTER......... ahhhhhhhh 😳😱🤯‼️

[@sonofsocrates9899]

The last of us ants edition in real life... humans coming soon.

[@thepeff]

I get excited when I realize I'm watching Tasha the Amazon

[@idraote]

So scientists are studying uses for those fungi. Uses that will put those fungi in closer contact with humans. It follows that the fungi could adapt to attack humans. It's a scary thought. The good thing is that it should take at least a few thousand years?

[@HorbtheOrangutan]

The thumbnail alone gave me goosebumps lol

[@BrianGibbens]

More Topic Ideas: Man-Faced Stink Bug Himalayan Monal Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Trilobite Beetle Gnamptogenys bicolor Stargazer Giant Turtle Ant (Darth Vader Ant) Vulturine Guineafowl Bornean Peacock Pheasant Red-crested turaco Palm Cockatoo Michie’s Tufted Deer Brazilian Jewel Tarantula Tasseled Anglerfish Rhinoceros Snake Rhinoceros Viper (AKA Bitis Viper)