Mind-Altering Parasites Transform Wolves into Terrifying Creatures

A study of 26 years' worth of wolf behavioral data and blood analysis of 229 wolves shows that infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii makes wolves 46 times more likely to become a pack leader. The parasite's role in ecosystems and animal behavior has been underestimated, and its effects on wolves have been horrendously understudied. Infected wolves were 11 times more likely to disperse from their pack into new territory and way more likely to become pack leaders. The findings suggest that tiny, understudied agents can have a huge influence on ecosystem dynamics.