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David Attenborough Has Inspired Countless Scientists. To Mark His 100th Birthday, Here Are Ten Living Things They've Named After Him
Key takeaways
- Mc Kenzie Prillaman | Assistant Digital Editor, Science & Innovation
- But an eerie sound signals that something is about to change.
- This famous portion of an episode of BBC’s “Planet Earth” came out in 2006 and changed the trajectory of mycologist João Araújo’s career.
Mc Kenzie Prillaman | Assistant Digital Editor, Science & Innovation
Add as preferred source About 50 organisms have been named for David Attenborough or elements of his legacy, from an orchid to a marine worm to one of the earliest known predators. Illustration by Emily Lankiewicz / Full credit at bottom of article David Attenborough begins the documentary segment by describing the remarkable success of jungle ants. In only about 2.5 acres of land, he explains, as many as eight million of the insects could live and thrive.
But an eerie sound signals that something is about to change. Spores of the parasitic fungus Cordyceps, Attenborough reveals, have taken over the onscreen creatures’ minds and are acting as puppeteers, forcing the ants to travel upward. Eventually, one ant stills, and the fruiting body of the fungus erupts from its head.