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

Researchers reported a newly identified mushroom species, Psilocybe ochraceocentrata, from grasslands in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The study was published in Proceedings B of the Royal Society.

DNA analyses using multi-locus phylogenetic analysis and molecular clock dating indicate P. ochraceocentrata and P. cubensis last shared an ancestor about 1.5 million years ago, challenging the idea that P. cubensis reached the Americas via cattle introductions in the 1500s.

P. ochraceocentrata was first formally described in Cuba in 1906 and has been cultivated worldwide under names such as NSS (Natal super strength) and Transkei.

The team included Dr. Alexander Bradshaw, Prof. Bryn Dentinger, Dr. Keaton Tremble, and Dr. Cathy Sharp; Dr. Sharp identified some of the earliest known Zimbabwe specimens in 2013.