Editing 1664: Mycology
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This is likely a reference to various parasitic species of ''{{w|Cordyceps}}'' fungi, which can infect the brains of insects causing behavior advantageous to the reproduction or spread of the fungus. This also may be an allusion to another fungus, ''{{w|Ophiocordyceps unilateralis}}'', which manipulates its hosts to aid its propagation. | This is likely a reference to various parasitic species of ''{{w|Cordyceps}}'' fungi, which can infect the brains of insects causing behavior advantageous to the reproduction or spread of the fungus. This also may be an allusion to another fungus, ''{{w|Ophiocordyceps unilateralis}}'', which manipulates its hosts to aid its propagation. | ||
− | + | {{w|Toxoplasma_gondii}} is also known to alter the behavior of mammals, and some researchers have proposed that this parasite may be partly responsible for the "{{w|Cat lady}}" phenomenon, whereby humans are compelled to hoard cats. The comic and its subtitle may, in fact, be a subtle argument that human behavior, and the entire concept of free will, may need to be re-evaluated given the massive numbers of {{w|Human parasite}}(s) known to exist. | |
In {{w|evolutionary biology}}, the phenomenon of an organism influencing its environment, sometimes by modifying the behavior of other organisms, is known as “the extended phenotype”. {{w|Richard Dawkins}} wrote a {{w|the extended phenotype|book of that name}} (as a follow-up of “{{w|The Selfish Gene}}”) where he describes this mechanism as an extreme example of the so-called selfishness of genes. | In {{w|evolutionary biology}}, the phenomenon of an organism influencing its environment, sometimes by modifying the behavior of other organisms, is known as “the extended phenotype”. {{w|Richard Dawkins}} wrote a {{w|the extended phenotype|book of that name}} (as a follow-up of “{{w|The Selfish Gene}}”) where he describes this mechanism as an extreme example of the so-called selfishness of genes. |