Tag Archive for 'Formica'

The infected Formica polyctena ant climbs up and clamps its powerful jaws onto the top of a blade of grass, making it more likely to be eaten by grazers such as cattle and deer. Image credit: University of Copenhagen.

Brain-Encysting Liver Flukes Alter Behavior of Infected Zombie Ants to Avoid High Temperatures

Sep 18, 2023 by News Staff

The brain-encysting lancet liver fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum induces Formica polyctena ants to climb and bite to vegetation by the mandibles in a state...

DeSilva et al. suggest that patterns of human brain evolution were influenced by collective intelligence, a convergent characteristic of diverse group-living animals. Image credit: Gerd Altmann.

Human Brains Decreased in Size 3,000 Years Ago, New Study Says

Oct 25, 2021 by News Staff

Human brain size nearly quadrupled in 6 million years since Homo last shared a common ancestor with chimpanzees, but human brains are thought to have decreased...