Chemical ecology and convergent evolution of natural hallucinogens: From ecological defense to conserved neural targets
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 24, 2026 Yibo Wang, H Wang, C T Lin et al.
Natural hallucinogenic compounds have arisen independently across plants, fungi, and animals, evolving into a diverse chemical arsenal that includes phenethylamines, indolealkylamines, and terpenoid scaffolds. Beyond clinical and cultural frameworks, their ecological origins and evolutionary trajectories may help explain why such potent modulators of perception, emotion, and cognition persist...