A recent study conducted by a team led by Yu Fukasawa from Tohoku University in Osaki, Japan, has revealed that mushrooms, despite lacking a brain, exhibit signs of basic intelligence. The research focused on the wood-decaying fungus Phanerochaete velutina, which demonstrates the ability to recognize patterns and adapt its growth according to food sources in its environment.
Mushrooms grow by releasing spores that germinate and form extensive networks of mycelium underground. This mycelium acts like a vast network of fungal threads, allowing the fungus to communicate and exchange information through electrical signals, similar to neural connections in the human brain.
The researchers set up an experiment with nine small beech wood cubes arranged in either a circular or cross pattern on the forest floor. Over 116 days, they monitored the growth of the fungus and took regular photographs to document its progress. The findings indicated that the fungus initially expanded its mycelium evenly but later aligned its growth towards the wood cubes, demonstrating an ability to learn from its environment.
In the cross formation, the fungus established stronger connections between the outer cubes, while in the circular formation, all cubes were equally integrated into the mycelial network. Surprisingly, the fungus did not form any threads within the inner circle of the wood cubes.
The researchers speculate that this growth strategy allows the fungus to seek food more effectively and create denser informational networks towards unexplored areas. They concluded that the fungus actively processes information, makes decisions, and strategically adjusts its mycelial network, indicating a form of primitive intelligence.
Fukasawa noted, “It is astonishing what mushrooms are capable of. They have memories, they learn, and they can make decisions.” This research contributes to our understanding of how different forms of cognition and intelligence have evolved across various organisms, suggesting that even beings without a central nervous system, like fungi, can exhibit intelligent behavior.
The study was published in Fungal Ecology on October 17, 2024.