Magic mushrooms crossed oceans pre‑human

Genetic analysis of a newly named African species (Psilocybe ochraceocentrata) shows it split from Psilocybe cubensis about 1.5 million years ago, implying the lineage reached the Americas long before humans and cattle. The finding suggests natural vectors (insect guts, wind) or megafauna droppings drove transoceanic fungal dispersal, not only recent human transport. — This reframes popular and scientific narratives about the history and spread of psychoactive fungi, with implications for biogeography, conservation priorities, and cultural histories of plant‑drug use.