Grapevine

Findings suggest that fungal mycelia can 'recognize' shapes

Can organisms without a brain still show signs of intelligence? Researchers at Tohoku University and Nagaoka College had this question in mind when conducting a study to measure the decision-making processes in fungi. While it may sound like science fiction, this level of basal cognition is possible even in fungi.

"You'd be surprised at just how much fungi are capable of," remarks Yu Fukasawa of Tohoku University, "They have memories, they learn, and they can make decisions. Quite frankly, the differences in how they solve problems compared to humans is mind-blowing."

A study, published in Fungal Ecology on September 12, 2024, examined how a wood-decaying mycelial network responded to two different situations: wood blocks placed in a circle versus cross arrangement. For example, if the fungi didn't display decision-making skills, they would simply spread out from a central point without consideration for the position of the blocks. Remarkably, this is not what the researchers witnessed.

For the cross arrangement, the degree of connection was greater in the outermost four blocks. It was hypothesized that this was because the outermost blocks can serve as "outposts" for the mycelial network to embark in foraging expeditions, therefore more dense connections were required.