Where did magic mushrooms come from? Scientists have just come closer to an answer

Where did magic mushrooms come from? Scientists have just come closer to an answer

By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron

When you think of magic mushrooms, you probably think of Psilocybe cubensis, perhaps the most popular species. Where these mushrooms came from and how they developed their psychoactive properties is something of a mystery. But a newly discovered sister species may provide a clue.

In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society Bdescribe researchers Psilocybe ochraceocentra, a magical mushroom found in Africa that resembles P. cubensis but a unique species. The new species has been misidentified as P. cubensis or other fungi for years, but the new study suggests that the two species likely shared a common ancestor around 1.5 million years ago.

“Our study suggests that the evolutionary cradle of the world’s most famous magic mushroom may lie in Africa, where collections that were previously misidentified now represent a distinct indigenous species,” says Breyten van der Merwe, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and co-author of the study. “New descriptions like these reveal both diversity and how little we still know about African fungi.”

On supporting science journalism

If you like this article, please consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribes. By purchasing a subscription, you help secure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas that shape our world today.

Interesting, both P. cubensis and P. ochraceocentra rely on dung – whether from cattle, bison, goats, horses or other animals – to spread their spores. The researchers used “museumomics,” or genetic analyzes of fungal species already held in museums or other collections, to determine that the two species likely diverged about 1.5 million years ago.

This timing is consistent with other “major ecological and faunal transitions,” including herbivorous migrations from Africa to Europe and Asia, the researchers note in the study, and suggests that changes in the dung landscape may be related to the species split.

The study does not answer how P. cubensis originated in America. According to the authors, it is possible that the ancestor crossed the Atlantic via atmospheric currents, insects or even ancient animal migrations, but more research is needed to say for sure.

“Future population genomic and demographic analyzes will be key to testing these hypotheses and elucidating the species’ dispersal history,” the authors write.

It’s time to stand up for science

If you liked this article, I would like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in its two-century history.

I have been one Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I see the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does for you too.

If you subscribe to Scientific Americanyou help ensure our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten laboratories across the United States; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself is too often not recognised.

In return, you receive important news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters, must-see videos, challenging games, and the world of science’s best writing and reporting. You can even give someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science is important. I hope you will support us in that mission.