Scientists Discover New “Magic Mushroom” Species That Rewrites Evolutionary History

Psilocybe ochraceocentrata, a newly identified “magic mushroom” species from southern Africa, reshapes how scientists think about the evolutionary origins of the widely cultivated Psilocybe cubensis. Genetic evidence indicates P. ochraceocentrata and P. cubensis shared a common ancestor around 1.5 million years ago, challenging the idea that modern P. cubensis spread to the Americas via cattle introductions from Africa and Europe in the 1500s. The study also highlights that what some growers long sold under names like “NSS” or “Transkei” was actually a separate species. Researchers compared DNA from recent samples and historical reference specimens using phylogenetic analysis, molecular clock dating, and ecological niche modeling. They propose environmental shifts linked to grassland expansion and grazing animal movements may have created ecological opportunities for the two lineages to diverge over millions of years. The work provides new genetic data for future psychedelic fungi research.