Emma Wilson
While humans did not evolve from mushrooms, there is evidence that we share more genetic traits with mushrooms than with plants. Humans and mushrooms share about a quarter to almost half of their active genes. This is because mushrooms and humans evolved from ancestors that were engaged in multicellularity over a billion years ago. Furthermore, ancient humans likely ingested psychedelic mushrooms, which may have played a role in human evolution. The stoned ape hypothesis, proposed by McKenna, suggests that early humans' ingestion of psilocybin mushrooms was an evolutionary advantage that kickstarted the development of language, imagination, and culture. However, this theory has been criticized by the scientific community as overly speculative.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genetic Similarity | Humans share about a quarter of their active genes with mushrooms. Some sources state that humans share up to 50% of their DNA with fungi. |
| Common Ancestor | Humans and mushrooms share a common ancestor from over a billion years ago. |
| Medicinal Properties | Mushrooms possess medicinal properties that can boost immunity, fight tumours, lower inflammation, and support brain health. |
| Spiritual and Consciousness Expansion | Mushrooms have been used ceremonially and in rituals to help expand consciousness, induce dreamlike states, and facilitate spiritual exploration. |
| Environmental Impact | Mushrooms can break down waste materials, restore depleted soils, remediate pollution, break down plastics, and help curb climate change. |
| Symbiotic Relationships | Mushrooms form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, exchanging nutrients for carbohydrates. |
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What You'll Learn
- Humans and mushrooms share a quarter to half of their DNA
- The 'stoned ape theory suggests psilocybin mushrooms influenced human evolution
- Ancient humans ate mushrooms, as evidenced by dental calculus
- Mushrooms and humans share medicinal properties
- Mushrooms and humans form symbiotic relationships with other organisms
Humans and mushrooms share a quarter to half of their DNA
While humans did not evolve from mushrooms, humans and mushrooms share a quarter to half of their DNA. This is because mushrooms and humans evolved from ancestors engaged in multicellularity over a billion years ago. Mushrooms branched off on their evolutionary path but still retain genetic DNA remnants from our shared origins.
Fungi, including mushrooms, are more closely related to animals than plants. They share genetic characteristics that plants do not have. According to Matt Kasson, an associate professor of mycology at West Virginia University, the first hypotheses about the relationship between fungi and animals emerged in the 1950s. Scientists were able to test and confirm these suspicions years later. John Walker, a professor at Appalachian State University who studies fungi, also noted that there are major overlapping characteristics shared by fungi and animals that plants do not have.
The idea that humans and mushrooms share a significant amount of DNA has been linked to the "stoned ape" hypothesis, which suggests that human ancestors ingested psilocybin mushrooms over millions of years to develop the brains we have today. McKenna, the originator of this theory, argued that due to desertification in Africa, humans retreated to shrinking tropical forests, following cattle herds whose dung attracted insects that were part of the human diet. According to McKenna, the ingestion of mushrooms was an evolutionary advantage that provided humanity's first religious impulse. He believed that psilocybin mushrooms were the "evolutionary catalyst" for language, imagination, the arts, religion, philosophy, science, and all of human culture.
However, McKenna's theory has been criticized by the academic community for being overly speculative and misrepresenting the studies of psychopharmacologist Roland L. Fischer, whose research was frequently cited by McKenna. Additionally, the lack of direct evidence of psychedelic mushroom ingestion by ancient humans has been noted, although there is evidence of edible mushroom and medicinal plant ingestion from the analysis of dental calculus recovered from Upper Paleolithic human remains.
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The 'stoned ape theory suggests psilocybin mushrooms influenced human evolution
Humans share a significant proportion of their DNA with mushrooms, with estimates ranging from 25% to 50%. This is because mushrooms and humans evolved from ancestors engaged in multicellularity over a billion years ago. The Stoned Ape Theory, first proposed by ethnobotanist Terence McKenna in his 1992 book "Food of the Gods," suggests that the consumption of psilocybin mushrooms by ancient hominins played a crucial role in the development of human cognition and culture.
The theory posulates that the ingestion of psychedelic mushrooms enhanced sociality, imagination, eloquence, and suggestibility, increasing the adaptability and fitness of early hominins. The interpersonal and prosocial effects of psilocybin may have facilitated the expansion of social bonding mechanisms such as laughter, music, storytelling, and religion. This could have imposed a systematic bias on the selective environment that favored prosociality in human evolution.
The Stoned Ape Theory suggests that the consumption of psilocybin mushrooms influenced the development of complex cognition and sociality in early hominins, potentially contributing to the emergence of consciousness and unique functions of the human brain, such as language and self-reflection. However, it is important to note that this theory is highly speculative and has not gained widespread acceptance in academic circles. While it offers a fascinating perspective on the role of psychedelics in human evolution, it is not meant to stand as the sole factor in human evolution but rather as one of multiple factors influencing our development.
The idea that psilocybin mushrooms influenced human evolution is supported by the presence of psychotropic tryptamines psilocybin and psilocin in these fungi, which are known to induce altered states of awareness or the psychedelic experience. Additionally, recent studies have suggested the potential of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders, primarily by activating serotonin receptors and enhancing neural plasticity. This provides a possible mechanism for the emergence of new modes of cognition and the growth of the human brain.
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Ancient humans ate mushrooms, as evidenced by dental calculus
While humans did not evolve from mushrooms, ancient humans did consume mushrooms, as evidenced by dental calculus.
Dental calculus, or hardened plaque, can provide valuable insights into the diet and lifestyle of ancient humans. In 2015, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, analyzed the dental calculus of a prehistoric woman nicknamed "The Red Lady of El Mirón." Her remains, discovered in an elaborate grave in the El Mirón Cave in Cantabria, Spain, are estimated to be around 18,700 years old.
The analysis of her dental calculus revealed the presence of microscopic fungal spores from grilled and bolete fungi, indicating that she had consumed mushrooms as part of her diet. This discovery provides the oldest evidence of mushroom consumption by early humans and sheds light on the dietary habits of our ancestors during the Upper Palaeolithic period.
The study also found evidence of plant pollen, seeds, roots, and pine nuts in the Red Lady's dental calculus, suggesting a mixed plant-animal subsistence economy during that time. Additionally, the absence of meat in her diet was notable, as it contrasted with the meat-heavy diet of Neanderthals in other regions, such as the Spy Cave in Belgium.
The consumption of mushrooms by ancient humans is further supported by evidence from Neolithic and Bronze Age sites in Piedmont, Italian Alps, where psychotropic mushrooms were believed to have been used in rituals. The Tryolean Iceman 'Otzi', who lived around 3,000 years ago, was also found to be carrying several types of fungi, providing additional proof of mushroom use in ancient times.
While the direct evolutionary link between humans and mushrooms is not scientifically supported, it is intriguing to note that humans share a significant portion of their DNA with mushrooms. This genetic similarity is due to our shared evolutionary ancestors, and it highlights the unique connection between humans and mushrooms that goes beyond physical similarities.
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Mushrooms and humans share medicinal properties
While humans did not evolve from mushrooms, humans and mushrooms share a common ancestor. Humans share more genetic traits with mushrooms than with plants. Studies have found that humans share about a quarter of their active genes with mushrooms, while other sources state that humans share up to 50% of their DNA with fungi. This is because mushrooms and humans evolved from ancestors engaged in multicellularity over a billion years ago.
Mushrooms possess powerful medicinal properties. Many varieties, such as reishi, lion's mane, and chaga, are renowned adaptogens that can boost immunity, fight tumours, lower inflammation, and support brain health. Research is ongoing, but some studies have found mushrooms help alleviate conditions like anxiety and depression. Their healing abilities come from unique protein complexes and polysaccharides interacting with human cells. Mushrooms are also a source of ergothioneine, an amino acid and antioxidant that prevents or slows cellular damage.
Oyster mushrooms, for example, are known for their stores of ergothioneine, which has cytoprotective (cell-protecting) properties. Oyster mushrooms may also help maintain healthy blood pressure, support a healthy body weight, balance blood sugar levels, and support lipid metabolism.
Shiitake mushrooms have also been studied for their medicinal properties. An aqueous extract, particularly rich in polyphenols, of shiitake was tested on human tumor cell lines of laryngeal carcinoma (Hep-2) and cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) for assessing its antiproliferative activity. The extract displayed high free radical scavenging and catalase-like and cytotoxic activities, as well as the inhibition of cell proliferation and the induction of apoptosis.
Other varieties of mushrooms, including P. eryngii var. ferulae, P. nebrodensis, and P. pulmonarius, have shown marked in vitro anticancer activity on human colon cancer cell lines.
In addition to their medicinal properties, mushrooms form vital symbiotic relationships with plant roots through their mycelial networks. Via a process called mycorrhizal association, mushrooms trade nutrients with plants for carbohydrates. This subterranean web allows information and resources to flow between diverse species across vast underground territories. In a sense, mushrooms act as nature's internet. Our social bonds and communion with each other and the natural world mirror mushrooms' capacity to connect disparate life forms through cooperative networks. They demonstrate the power of symbiosis for mutual survival.
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Mushrooms and humans form symbiotic relationships with other organisms
While humans did not come from mushrooms, there is evidence that humans and mushrooms share a significant amount of DNA. It is believed that humans and mushrooms share about a quarter to half of their active genes. This is because mushrooms and humans evolved from ancestors engaged in multicellularity over a billion years ago. The two species branched off on their evolutionary paths but still retain genetic DNA remnants from their shared origins.
Mushrooms form symbiotic relationships with plant roots through their mycelial networks. Through a process called mycorrhizal association, mushrooms trade nutrients with plants for carbohydrates. This subterranean web allows information and resources to flow between diverse species across large areas. In this way, mushrooms act as nature's internet, connecting disparate life forms through cooperative networks.
Humans share a similar capacity for connection and communion with each other and the natural world. Many ancient cultures revered mushrooms for their psychedelic compounds and ability to induce dreamlike states, which were believed to be conducive to spiritual exploration and emotional blockages. Today, research on psilocybin and other hallucinogenic mushroom compounds shows promise in treating mental health issues and facilitating psychological growth.
Mushrooms also demonstrate sustainable solutions through their balanced interchange with the environment, as they can break down waste materials, remediate pollution, break down plastics, and help curb climate change. Their ability to grow on agricultural byproducts provides a more sustainable alternative to fresh inputs.
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Frequently asked questions
No, humans did not evolve from mushrooms. However, humans and mushrooms share a common ancestor, and humans share more genetic traits with mushrooms than with plants.
The Stoned Ape theory, proposed by McKenna, suggests that early humans ingested psilocybin mushrooms, which acted as an "evolutionary catalyst" for the development of language, imagination, arts, religion, and more. This theory has been criticised by the scientific community as overly speculative.
Both humans and mushrooms have developed powerful medicinal properties. Additionally, mushrooms, like humans, form complex networks with their environment, demonstrating the power of symbiosis for mutual survival.
