Evolution Talk

Attics aren?t the only places you?ll find old secrets from the past, begging to be rediscovered or let out. You have them in you as well. I?m not talking about the the type of secrets you keep to yourself and only tell close friends. I?m talking about those like the ones you?ll find in old attics.  Secrets you don't even know are there.  These secrets are locked in your DNA. Every once in a while, those secrets come back to haunt us.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Swingland by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6625-swingland, Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 009 by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8224-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-009, Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Ambient Bongos by Alexander Nakarada, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4726-ambient-bongos, Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

The Inspector by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9176-the-inspector, Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Blue Sky U Liar 106 by Doudoo, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/11436-blue-sky-u-liar-106, Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Ants have mastered the art of cooperation.  They have highly organized social structures, caste systems, and with everything they do, they do for the colony.  They are in a sense, a superorganism with each ant contributing to benefit of colony, like cells in a functioning body.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Winjammer by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Mute Groove by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Memory Wind by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Evolution by natural selection is not perfect, nor does it strive to be.  It doesn't strive to be anything at all.  An adaptation that is beneficial under one set of circumstances may be a detriment under another. There are also some wonderful by products - like reading and writing.  Did we evolve to read and write? Once again, imperfection reigns.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Gathering by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Ideas by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com In And Out by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Bright White by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Go Little Car by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

If you've ever heard the phrase "play possum", you may know it means to feign death. It's real thing. Possums do it, as do sharks, ants, and a multitude of other animals. It's a defense mechanisms shaped by evolution.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Go Little Car by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Dinky by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Arp Arc by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Ant Party by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

With the start of a new season of episodes, I thought it appropriate to revisit why I created this podcast in the first place with the question - "Why Teach Evolution?"

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Kingston Town by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Breezin by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Wook by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Mute Groove by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

It's time for a summer break.  There will be some exciting new video content coming up as well.  You can keep up to date on all that is happening at Evolutiontalk.com !  

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

The Homo Naledi have been intriguing scientists since their discovery in 2013, challenging our understanding of early human life. In this episode, we explore the burning question: how did they end up in the incredibly difficult-to-reach Dinaledi chamber? From the possibility of using fire to lighting their way to the evidence of intentional burial, we are slowly uncovering the secrets Homo Naledi left behind. We delve into their potential cognitive abilities, including abstract thinking and symbolic thought, and what their burial rituals could mean about their understanding of mortality.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Whimsy Groove by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4623-whimsy-groove, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Nightdreams by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4132-nightdreams, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Crowd Hammer by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4983-crowd-hammer, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Dive into the mysterious world of Batesian mimicry, where harmless creatures masquerade as dangerous ones to survive. Journey with us from Britain?s south coast, where hoverflies fool predators with wasp-like outfits, to the deceptive bands of the scarlet kingsnake in southeastern US. Marvel at the daytime antics of clearwing moths, mistaken for bees, and question the taste of the Viceroy butterfly, a monarch look-alike. As the lines between disguise and reality blur, we explore the intriguing dance of adaptation and survival in the animal kingdom. It?s nature?s never-ending Halloween party.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Halloween Atmosphere 2018 by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3234-halloween-atmosphere-2018, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Halloween Ghost Of The Dead Ballerina by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8269-halloween-ghost-of-the-dead-ballerina, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Halloween Theme 1 by Alexander Nakarada, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4735-halloween-theme-1, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Halloween Atmosphere by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/87-halloween-atmosphere, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Halloween Haunted House by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6615-halloween-haunted-house, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

When a vibrant caravan of travelers arrives with new foods, traditions, and stories, a sleepy hamlet's culinary landscape is forever altered. We explore how this 'mixing of recipes' changes the DNA menu of a population, much like the newfound dishes in Heritage Hamlet. Here's to a feast for both your mind and your curiosity.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Le Baguette by Alexander Nakarada, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4784-le-baguette, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Discover "Fossils, Feuds, and Fantastical Creatures: The Cope and Marsh Saga." Journey back to 1863 Berlin, where Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh kickstart a rivalry for the ages. Originally friends, their bond fractures at a New Jersey fossil quarry, escalating into a public spat that seizes the paleontological world. Tune in for this thrilling ride into history, dinosaurs, and the power of human rivalry.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Meanwhile in Bavaria by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4028-meanwhile-in-bavaria. License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Lost In The Dark by Steven OBrien, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10010-lost-in-the-dark, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summer Swing 2018 by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3160-summer-swing-2018, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Tick Tock Tick Tock Quarantine Time by WinnieTheMoog, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6145-tick-tock-tick-tock-quarantine-time, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Jazzy Comping 1 by Agnese Valmaggia, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7330-jazzy-comping-1, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Jazzi 3 by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8069-jazzi-3, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

You can get 25% off the Evolution Talk book at Amazon!  The discount is good until June 8th.  If you buy one let me know what you think!

Have a great week!

Rick

Link to Evolution Talk book: https://amzn.to/3MJTJ9h

From the quiet roads of New Hampshire, where snapping turtles are more common than lizards, to the depths of our evolutionary past, we'll grapple with the idea that we may still carry a piece of our reptilian ancestors within us. But don't be too quick to believe popular pop-psychology. We'll explore what the Triune Brain model tells us about our so-called "reptilian brain" and how it shapes our instinctual responses. We'll question if there's a lurking Allosaurus within our minds or if it's just an oversimplification of a complex organ.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Frogs by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Go Little Car by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Twinkle Toes by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Using the metaphor of a simple beat evolving into a complex symphony, we explore how small-scale genetic changes within populations give rise to new species. From microevolution to macroevolution. Here, the role of natural selection is handed over to the discerning ears of different audiences to select the music that survives and evolves. From a simple beat to a grand symphony, we trace the evolution of life.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Jazzi by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6469-jazzi, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Road Trip by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9761-road-trip, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Trickster by Phat Sounds, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Midsummer's Night In The Woods by Justin Allan Arnold, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10882-midsummers-night-in-the-woods, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

We Love Punk Rock by WinnieTheMoog, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6369-we-love-punk-rock, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summer Swing 2018 by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3160-summer-swing-2018, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

In this episode, the focus is on macroevolution, which deals with larger scale evolutionary changes compared to microevolution. Macroevolutionary changes can give rise to new species, and its results can be seen in the fossil record. By piecing together fossils, researchers can observe macroevolutionary patterns, predict transitional organisms, and even locate potential fossil sites. Whales provide a compelling look at macroevolution, as their evolution from land-dwelling mammals to aquatic giants is documented in the fossil record. The journey of whales, from the wolf-sized Pakicetus to the fully aquatic Basilosaurus, showcases the power of macroevolution.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

The constant dance of microevolution is driven by alleles, different versions of genes that determine traits. Sexual reproduction results in organisms inheriting a unique combination of genetic material from both parents, creating genetic diversity within a population. New alleles can appear through mutations or gene flow between populations.

The dance of alleles will continue, introducing new traits and variations in the ongoing story of evolution.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

In 2015,a spelunker named Joachim Kreiselmaier discovered a troglobite, a species that lives in underground environments, in the Danube-Aach cave system in South Germany. This small, pale fish had an elongated body, large nostrils, and minuscule, non-functional eyes. It was the first species of cave fish found in Europe and was related to loaches from the nearby Danube River. These cave fish lost their eyesight and pigmentation not because they stopped needing them, but due to evolution by natural selection. 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

On September 15, 1835, the Galapagos Islands welcomed the arrival of a ship that had traversed South America, offering a strikingly different landscape. The vessel, HMS Beagle, still had just over a year before it would return to England. Aboard the ship was a young naturalist named Charles Darwin, who was unaware that his brief five-week exploration of the Galapagos Archipelago would ultimately inspire him to pen a world-altering book. This work would revolutionize our comprehension of the origins and diversity of the countless species that have existed and continue to exist on Earth.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

It can be straightforward to confuse facts and theories, but they remain distinct entities. Asserting that evolutoion by natural selection is not a fact does not diminish its significance as a theoretical framework. The theory is founded on empirical evidence and provides a deeper understanding of the subject matter.  Scientific theories evolve over time as new evidence and discoveries emerge. They continue to be refined and expanded as our knowledge of the natural world grows.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

Our diet has a direct impact on our quality of life, and this fact is not new. Throughout the evolution of our species, food availability and our diet have been influential factors. The Hominin River has provided insights into the dietary habits of our predecessors and how it affected their brain size and ability to walk on two legs. The transition from herbivores to omnivores, as well as learning how to cook food, caused a reduction in teeth size and gut size. Despite not documenting their meals or counting calories, our ancient hominin ancestors were keen on experimenting with what they ate. Their primary concern was avoiding predators, so we rely on archaeological findings to understand their diet.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

Our journey down the Hominin River in search of our ancestors and the evolution of our species has been extensive. Homo sapiens began exploring the world 300,000 years ago, and anatomically modern humans appeared 200,000 years ago. We, also known as Homosapiens sapiens, are the last surviving species of the Hominin family. However, as we speed along the river, we may overlook a significant change - the river is now narrower, with its tributaries gone. This river, which has been around for over 6 million years, may be nearing its end sooner than we anticipate. With millions of years behind us, we might only have a few centuries left to navigate.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Denouement by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Ghost by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Human Survivor by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

The discovery of a Homo erectus skull in 2005, known as Skull 5, marked a significant archaeological find. Among the five skulls found, estimated to be approximately 1.8 million years old, Skull 5 stands out as the most complete hominin skull ever uncovered. Remarkably, it had remained hidden within a cave for nearly two million years before its discovery.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

River Fire by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4294-river-fire, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Slow Heat by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4373-slow-heat, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Allada by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4981-allada, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Rite of Passage by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4291-rite-of-passage, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In 1959, a significant event took place when teeth were discovered at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. These teeth were identified as belonging to a hominin species known as Homo habilis, which for decades held a special place as the first hominin to be given the title of Homo and considered as our earliest Homo ancestor. However, as more evidence and research emerge, the question arises: is Homo habilis truly the first Homo species, or is there more to the story?

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

 

Music in this Episode

Infados by Kevin MacLeod. Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3914-infados, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Artifact by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3382-artifact, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Accralate by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3336-accralate, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Drums of the Deep by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3681-drums-of-the-deep, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

Thomas Plummer, an archaeologist, had received information about the discovery of stone tools on the Homa Peninsula hillsides in Kenya. In an attempt to gain more knowledge, he initiated an excavation. However, instead of discovering more stone tools, he and his team came across numerous fossils of various animals such as crocodiles, antelopes, horses, and hippos. The fossils were accompanied by stone tools. But who made them?

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Music:

Criminals (DECISION) by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/248-criminals-decision, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Lurking Sloth by Alexander Nakarada, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4785-lurking-sloth, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Until Then My Friend by Euan Ford, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8692-until-then-my-friend, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Blockbuster Atmosphere 5 (African Spirit) by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/133-blockbuster-atmosphere-5-african-spirit, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

We?ve come quite a long way along the Hominin River.  We?ve passed tributaries and navigated some pretty large bends.  On the way we?ve heard rumors about what was ahead.  A name actually.  You?ll recognize her name because she's been mentioned on this show more than once.  She?s perhaps the most famous ancestor(?) of all.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

 

Music in this Episode:

Ghost by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Pythagoras by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Gentle Chase by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Twine by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Clay by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Between 1992 and 1994, working in the Awash region of Ethiopia, the same region that Ardipithecus kadabba would be found a few years later, paleoanthropologist Tim White unearthed well over 100 specimens of something new.  

What was it?

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

 

Music:

Caravan by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Bit Rio by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Gamma Ray by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Climbing the Mountain by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Toboggan (Smooth Run) by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

In the last couple of episodes we?ve met two early travellers along the Hominin River.  Today, we will meet yet another one.  This one lived approximately 5.5 million years ago.  It is know as Ardipithecus kadabba, and this is its story.

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

We continue with our exploration into hominin history by introducing one who once walked the earth six million years ago - the Orrorin tugenensis. It was bipedal, a mix of ape-like and human-like traits, and may be a direct ancestor... of us!

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

We begin our exploration into hominin history with an introduction to what is arguably the oldest hominin fossil yet found.  Does Sahelanthropus tchadensis represent our earliest hominin ancestor or is it something else? 

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

When talking about our ancient anscestors the question often comes up over how we refer to them.  Are they hominins or hominids?  It's a good question and it depends on how it is being used and what "hominid" branch is being discussed.  

Over the next few episodes we'll be looking at some of those ancestors, so it's a good idea to address this terminology and what will be used going forward to avoid confusion.  It might also answer some questions!

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

When did our ancestors descend from the trees and walk on two legs instead of four?  How exactly did bipedalism develop?  We have some ideas but that's all they are - ideas.  We may never know, but we can certainly have some fun hypothesizing!

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Our study of the Homo Naledi continues to surprise us.  In December 2022, Professor Lee Berger announced yet another insight into the mystery surrounding the presence of the Naledi in the Rising Star Cave System.

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

In 1979 Stephen Jay Gould and genetecist Richard C. Lewontin presented the paper ?The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme?.  What do spandrels have to do with evolution and biology?  Sometimes, things are there simply because they are.

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

In Part 4 of a 4 Part Series on "The Eclipse of Darwinism", we take a look at William Paley's watch analogy and how it evolved into another explanation for the abundance and intricacies of life around us. 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

In Part 3 of a 4 Part Series on "The Eclipse of Darwinism", we take a look at "Mutationism".  Can a new species evolve in a single step or is it a series of gradual, accumulated changes as Darwinian evolution suggests?

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

In Part 2 of a 4 Part Series on "The Eclipse of Darwinism", we take a look at "Neo-Lamarkism" as proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamark.  Proponents hoped it would push Darwinian evolution aside as the principal force behind the evolution of species.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

 

 

After Charles Darwin's death, the period from the 1880s to the 1920s is known as "The Eclipse of Darwinism".  Coined by Julian Huxley, it was a time where alternative theories to explain evolution sought to push Natural Selection aside.

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

In this continuation of the look at speciation we began in the last episode, we will tackle some more "not so obvious" causes.

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

It's been awhile since we took a look at speciation and its causes.  In the first of two parts we'll jump right in with Allopatric speciation.

 

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

For decades, ever since we first began to study and understand our cell?s biology and the coding sequences of DNA, we saw bits and pieces that didn?t seem to make sense.  Strings of DNA that didn?t appear to do anything at all. It appears, they do quite a lot.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

In 1893, the German zoologist Wilhelm Haacke published  Design and Inheritance. In it, Haacke introduced the concept of orthogenesis.  According to Haacke, changes in organisms are directed toward perfection.  

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

Consider this episode a memorial to the millions of extinct animals that once walked the earth long before we inherited it.  Like fragments of novels and poems that have been found over the years, hinting at what might have been, we have fossils and shards of bones to tell us what once was.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

Great idea don't spring out of a vacuum, but they do sometimes seem to.  In this episode we take a look at a few.

 

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

Evolution Talk - the book is now available at your local bookstore!

If you love the show, and have listened to the last 100 episodes this book is for you.  If you?re a student, or want to learn more about evolution by natural selection it?s the perfect introduction.  If you?re a teacher, your class will love it. Just like the show, it?s meant to be accessible and easy to grasp.

You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

What came first, the chicken or the egg?  It's an age old question.  How about another one?  What stored genetic information first?  DNA or RNA?

 

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

Colossal Biosciences hopes to reintroduce the wooly mammoth to the world, thousands of years after the last one walked the earth.  If successful they will have paved the way for a "de-extinction pipeline" for other lost species.

 

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

 

Evolution by Natural Selection has assisted many amazing symbiotic relationships.  Here's one you may not be familiar with, and which you're a participant in.  It involves your gut microbiome.

 

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

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In 1976, British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins published The Selfish Gene.  It made exactly the splash he?d intended, but people were confused. How can genes be selfish?

 

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

Stephen Jay Gould once asked what would happen if the evolution of life on Earth were to take the same path if we had the ability to start it all over again?  In this episode we'll ask the question again ...

 

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Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

Imagine a world without mutants. I don?t mean those super-powered heroes that populate the comics and movies from Marvel. I?m talking about you, me, and everyone else we know.  We are all mutants trying to survive.

 

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Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste

Just what does the act of chewing have to do with brain size and evolution?  Perhaps nothing or everything.  A team of researchers is helping us to understand exactly how much energy is involved when we use our jaws.

 

For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com

Written, Produced, & Narrated by: Rick Coste