"Psychedelic Mushrooms: Tracing Their Evolution Back to an Asteroid Impact"
A new study on magic mushrooms reveals that the Psilocybe genus, containing psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin, originated around the time of the dinosaur extinction, challenging previous assumptions about its age. The study's genomic analysis of 52 Psilocybe specimens, including 39 never-before-sequenced species, sheds light on the evolution and potential therapeutic uses of these fungi. Researchers also identified two distinct gene orders within the gene cluster that produces psilocybin, indicating two independent acquisitions of the compound in the genus's evolutionary history. The study's findings open new avenues for understanding the therapeutic potential and evolutionary history of magic mushrooms.