Convergent biosynthesis of psilocybin in an ectomycorrhizal lineage: is the psychoactive end-product the selected trait?
EcoEvoRxiv July 1, 2026 Mellica Askari, Varun Surapaneni
Psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in magic mushrooms, is produced by a convergent biosynthetic pathway in an ectomycorrhizal lineage of fungi. The paper questions whether the psychoactive end-product itself is the trait that natural selection has acted upon, or whether it is a byproduct of another adaptive function. The authors explore alternative hypotheses for the evolutionary role of psilocybin, such as deterring predators or manipulating insect behavior, and argue that the selective advantage may not be the compound's psychoactive properties in humans.