99-Million-Year-Old Amber Reveals Ancient Zombie Fungus

A 99-million-year-old piece of amber has yielded a remarkable discovery: an ancient fly with a zombie fungus erupting from its head, alongside a similarly infected ant. These represent some of the oldest known examples of fungi parasitizing insects, providing a glimpse into ancient ecological relationships. Researchers used microscopy and CT scanning to identify two new species of ancient fungi, hypothesizing a similar parasitic mechanism to modern 'zombie-ant fungi'. The discovery suggests complex ecosystems existed in the Cretaceous period and raises questions about the evolutionary history of these parasitic fungi.