Dinosaurs 'Got High': Creatures Fed Off Of Psychedelic Grass

Did you know dinosaurs may have gotten high in their day? That's right. New research from the journal Palaeodiversity shows that many enjoyed a psychedelic fungus that came from a grass parasite.

The first amber fossils reveal the use of ergot-contaminated rye, which caused powerful muscle spasms and hallucinations among our ancient firneds.

German paleontologist Joerg Wunderlich excavated the mine where the amber was found at just about half an inch. The tiny relic holds grass spikelet and ergot fungus that resembles an ear of corn, with leaves of grass wrapped around the ear, according to Live Science. 

"This establishes for sure that grasses were in the Old World 100 million years ago," said lead study author George Poinar Jr., a zoology professor at Oregon State University, via the news organization. 

Previous research has suggested that dinosaurs were dead long before grasses began to grow. However, new evidence reveals that it may have actually evolved alongside the dinosaurs.

In fact, fossils suggest that the first grasslands appeared close to 30 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period that killed the dinosaurs close to 65 million years ago.

Samples of fossilized poop, otherwise known as coprolites, also revealed pieces of ergot-contamined rye.
"It indicates that psychedelic compounds were present back in the Cretaceous," Poinar concluded. "What effect it had on animals is difficult to tell, but my feeling is dinosaurs definitely fed on this grass."

Researchers even believe that ergot may have come during the older Jurassic period, instead of earlier evidence suggesting South America toward the end of the Crustacean period.

Of course, researchers may never know for certain. However, they do know one thing: Dinosaurs liked to party. 

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