The closest wild relative of the widely cultivated magic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis has been discovered in sub-Saharan Africa and named Psilocybe ochraceocentrata. DNA analysis of type specimens and multi-locus phylogenetic and molecular clock dating show the two species last shared a common ancestor about 1.5 million years ago (range 710,000 to 2.55 million years ago), long before cattle domestication or modern humans appeared. This refutes the long-held hypothesis that P. cubensis was introduced to the Americas via cattle brought from Africa around 1500 CE. Both species grow on herbivore dung, which likely pre-adapted P. cubensis to specialize on domesticated cattle dung. Ecological niche modeling indicates the species have been present across Africa, Asia, and the Americas over the last 3 million years.
The psychedelic mushroom Psilocybe cubensis, first described from Cuba in 1906, was long thought to have been introduced to the Americas with cattle from Africa and Europe around 1500 CE. A new cryptic species, Psilocybe ochraceocentrata, has been discovered in sub-Saharan Africa as the closest wild relative of P. cubensis. DNA analysis of African Psilocybe specimens and molecular clock dating show the two species last shared a common ancestor about 1.5 million years ago, well before cattle domestication. Both species grow on large herbivore dung, indicating a predisposition to cattle dung. Ecological niche modeling suggests the common ancestor had suitable habitat across Africa, Asia, and the Americas over the last 3 million years, shedding light on the wild origins of domesticated P. cubensis.