Magic mushrooms, also known as psilocybin-producing bacteria, appear to have emerged with the extinction of dinosaurs.
Scientists have long believed that 65 million years ago, a giant asteroid crashed into Earth, catastrophically wiping out dinosaurs from the planet, and from the ashes a new phase of animal, plant, and other life arose. I’ve come up with a theory that it did.
Artist’s illustration depicting Syrtitan sinensis (left) and Hamititan sinjiangensis (right) with other theropod and dinosaur species surrounding them.
Magic mushrooms, also known as psilocybin-producing mushrooms, are one of the fungi that appears to have emerged at this time.
According to a recent genome diversity study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the genus Psilocybe evolved about 65 million years ago, which is much older than previously thought.
This may indicate that the appearance of magic mushrooms coincided with the extinction of dinosaurs due to a meteorite impact.
Hallucinogenic mushrooms are still federally illegal and are considered to have no therapeutic value, so experts from national and international institutions are studying these mushrooms as much as possible.
The indigenous civilizations of Mesoamerica have long held a special place for these mushrooms. But recently, psilocybin therapy was approved in Oregon and Colorado, states that were once at the forefront of recreational marijuana legalization. This allows more Americans to benefit from the psychological benefits of this treatment.
The latest study is essentially a summary of scientists’ years of efforts. By 2020, they hope to have the genome sequence of each Psilocyber specimen obtained from international collections. They have sequenced 71 samples so far and are continuing to sequence them.