A species of wood-eating fungus demonstrated remarkable cognitive abilities in a recent study, raising new questions about consciousness in various life forms. Conducted by a team at Japan's Tohoku University, led by Yu Fukasawa, this groundbreaking research was published in the journal Fungal Ecology in October 2024.
The researchers aimed to investigate whether fungi could recognize shapes. Their findings revealed that the fungus, Phanerochaete velutina, possesses memory and decision-making abilities, despite lacking a central nervous system.
Fungi grow by releasing spores that develop into thin, filamentous threads. These threads bundle together to form a larger network known as mycelium, which resembles neural pathways in the brain. In the experiment, the team incubated the fungus on wooden blocks arranged in specific patterns—a circle and a cross—and observed the growth patterns over several months.
Remarkably, the mycelium maintained the integrity of the shapes, steering clear of the circle's center, suggesting an ability to learn about its environment. Nicholas P. Money, a fungal biologist at Miami University, emphasized that the study challenges traditional beliefs about consciousness, showing that even organisms without brains can exhibit basic forms of awareness.
The researchers are now exploring how mycelium communicates information about its surroundings and how these findings could reshape our understanding of cognition in both fungi and humans. Fukasawa noted that this research may help us recognize that intelligent behavior can occur without a brain or consciousness, potentially offering insights into our own cognitive processes.