• MTZ@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      23
      ·
      edit-2
      5 hours ago

      Yeah I didn’t realize that they were not technically plants until after I made the post. Ooopsie. I mean, I knew that they were fungi, but I thought fungi were considered plants. But I know now that I was mistaken.

  • shalafi@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    4 hours ago

    I don’t understand how psilocybin evolved multiple times. I don’t see it as a defense because animals aren’t likely to conflate tripping balls with something they ate an hour previous.

    • CrackedLinuxISO@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      4 hours ago

      It looks like the evolutionary advantage is still debated. There’s a newer hyopethsis that, because psilocybin evolved during a period of heightened gastropod diversity, it could be defence against snails.

      • untorquer@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        2 hours ago

        In confused as to how it’s not considered a spore distribution strategy because mammals like tripping balls and spores can survive digestion… 🤷

        • greedytacothief@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          14 minutes ago

          I believe Psilocybin cubensis evolved with this in mind, where the spores get on grass, then they do their funky thing in the cow guts. Cow poops them out and the mushrooms come out of the cow pies.

          This could be the case with most/all dung loving mushrooms, IDK I’m just an amateur grower.

  • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    29
    ·
    5 hours ago

    I love chilli’s for this. They’ve developed spiciness to discourage getting eaten. We made an entire fucking menu out of it.

    • danc4498@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      5 hours ago

      Is it possible they evolved to taste delicious, but give explosive diarrhea sending the seeds everywhere?

            • Frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              1 hour ago

              Maybe, but they’re also fucked if we disappear. Corn as we know it is so far removed from the native plant that it can’t spread itself around without us.

              • ryedaft@sh.itjust.works
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                50 minutes ago

                Plants, um, find a way. Plants will edit their own DNA in response to stress. They will have offspring with themselves or very distantly related plants. If you can get humans to plant you on six continents, in abominable number, then if humans disappear you find a way.