The Common Descent Podcast

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.

Joining us for this episode is Travis Holland, host of Fossils and Fiction!

Find Travis and Fossils and Fiction in these places:
fossilsfiction.co
travisholland.com.au
https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/persons/tholla05csueduau

Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Happy Croc Month!

Alligators and caimans are the living members of the family Alligatoridae. In this episode, we explore how the gator lineage differs from other crocs, and we’ll dive into the fossil record of the extended gator family tree, a history that includes a diversity of species and some of the largest crocodilians to ever live.

In the news: Australian pterosaurs, mega-geese, Neanderthal art, and social ants.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:45
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:55
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:12:45
Patron question: 02:19:50

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Terrestrial animals get around using a variety of gaits: walking, running, galloping, etc. Some of these gaits are particularly bouncy! Hopping comes in many forms in many different groups of animals. This episode, we’ll discuss what makes a particular gait “hoppy,” what functions hopping serves, and what adaptations are found in the best hoppers. Then, we’ll explore what we can tell about hopping in the fossil record.

In the news: dinosaur skin, marine worms, ancient monotremes, and plant-ant relations

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:45
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:19:00
Patron question: 01:50:10

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.

Returning to the podcast for this episode are Sabrina and Garret, hosts of I Know Dino!

Find I Know Dino at these places:
https://iknowdino.com
https://www.patreon.com/join/iknowdino
https://pod.link/960976813

Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Tongues are a common feature among tetrapod animals, but the evolution of this organ is complex and fascinating. Through time, tongues have evolved a wide variety of functions from feeding to sensing to speech. This episode, we’ll explore the diversity of tongues and their bony counterparts in the hyoid apparatus, we’ll examine what’s known about tongue evolution, and we’ll discuss how fossils – especially hyoids – help us interpret the tongues of extinct species.

In the news: dinosaur temperatures, ancient geomagnetism, Martian lake conditions, and splitting sea stars.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:08:15
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:55
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:24:05
Patron question: 02:02:40

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Language is possibly the most important and incredible ability that sets humans apart from other species. Whether spoken, written, or signed, language exists in thousands of varieties among modern human cultures, and there are some very language-like communication systems in other animals, too. This episode, we discuss what defines language, what makes it so special, and what we understand about its history and origins among our ancestors.

In the news: orangutan medicine, frog skin, giant sharks, and dinosaur eggs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:15
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:34:35
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:14:25
Patron question: 01:58:00

Find Dr. Alex at https://www.bridgetalex.com/  or @bannelia

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.

This episode, we’re joined by Dylan Wilmeth, host of Bedrock: Earth’s Earliest History!

Find Dylan’s podcast here: https://www.bedrockpodcast.com/

Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Cicadas are among the most famous insects in the world, and in summer 2024, they’re set to put on quite a show in North America! This episode, we explore the function and evolution of cicadas’ most famous features, including their notoriously loud calls and their incredible life cycles, and we’ll take a peek into the past at the fossil record of cicadas and their ancient cousins.

In the news: giant snakes, big kangaroos, dinosaur amino acids, and echolocation tissues.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:03:45
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:35
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:18:50
Patron question: 02:00:30

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

It’s a new series of Silver Screen Science! As usual, we’re discussing how science is portrayed on the big screen, this time with a new theme: Sharks!

It’s a series about shark movies, so how could we skip the most famous and influential shark film of all time? – Jaws.

Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

It’s a new series of Silver Screen Science! As usual, we’re discussing how science is portrayed on the big screen, this time with a new theme: Sharks!

This time, we’re exploring the monster sharks and suspicious science of a 90s shark classic – Deep Blue Sea.

Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

This group of predatory dinosaurs includes such famous names as Deinonychus, Microraptor, and Velociraptor, and they’re among the most well-studied and popular dinosaurs of all time. This episode, we’ll discuss what sets these dinosaurs apart, as well the much-discussed and -debated questions surrounding their relationships to birds, their distinctive claws and wings, and their hunting strategies.

In the news: ant-mimic spiders, fishapod spinal column, early dinosaur growth, and a fossil tapeworm.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:20
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:33:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:13:50
Patron question: 02:22:05

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Links mentioned in the announcements:
Palestine Children’s Relief Fund: https://www.pcrf.net/
Jewish Voice For Peace: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/take-action/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

It’s a new series of Silver Screen Science! As usual, we’re discussing how science is portrayed on the big screen, this time with a new theme: Sharks!

This episode, we’re examining the newest installment in the film series about giant monster ancient sharks – Meg 2: The Trench.

Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.

It’s episode two, and our guests are the hosts of Palaeo After Dark: James, Amanda, and Curtis!

Find Palaeo After Dark at their website: www.palaeoafterdark.com

Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

An animal eating another member of its own species might sound like a rare and abnormal occurrence – and it is often portrayed that way – but cannibalism is actually extremely widespread and common in nature. Some animals are occasional cannibals, while some go so far as to rely on this behavior to fuel proper growth and development. In this episode, we’ll discuss some of the varieties of cannibalism, explore how this behavior has been misunderstood and misconstrued in the past, and investigate some evidence from the fossil record.

In the news: toothless Cretaceous birds, giant river dolphins, Alaska dinosaurs, and Kermit the temnospondyl.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00|
News: 00:05:50
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:29:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:45
Patron question: 02:09:15

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

What's The "T" Stand For?: A Let's Learn-A-Saurus Book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CYZJ1QLR

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Among the most spectacular of animal behaviors is migration, the habit of many species to undertake massive journeys, sometimes traveling thousands of kilometers to access food or breeding grounds. This episode, we explore the incredible diversity of migratory behaviors, we examine the functions and adaptations that make migration happen, we discuss how migration is defined, and we investigate some of the tools we can use to identify migration in the distant past.

In the news: giant crabs, fossil forests, early cephalopods, and mating termites.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:40
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:30:15
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:26:00
Patron question: 01:49:35

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.

In this first episode, our guest is Adele Pentland, host of Pals in Palaeo!

Find Adele and Pals in Palaeo in these places:
https://adelepentland.com/
https://palsinpalaeo.com/
https://www.instagram.com/palsinpalaeo/
https://www.instagram.com/palaeodel/

Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Owls are among the world’s most iconic and charismatic birds, and they’re also among the most effective aerial predators. This episode, we’ll take a tour of the amazing adaptations that have allowed owls to achieve their modern diversity and worldwide range, and we’ll explore what we know – and what we don’t – about their evolutionary history.

In the news: snake evolution, ancient polar life, dinosaur joints, and dragon teeth.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:10
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:35
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:23:50
Patron question: 02:03:15

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Cacti are famous for their spine-shaped leaves, their water-retaining tissues, their green stems, and especially for being among the most well-adapted organisms on Earth for dry environments. This episode, we’re joined by Dr. Aly Baumgartner to discuss the diversity of cacti, their unique adaptations for an unusual lifestyle, and their mysterious evolutionary past.

In the news: Stone Age jewelry, kelp fossils, long-jawed fish, and early trees.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:25
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:25:00
Patron question: 02:04:00

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A familiar name to modern biologists and paleontologists, Sir Richard Owen is famous for his pioneering work in the fields of paleontology and comparative anatomy, his contributions to public appreciation of biological sciences, and his often antagonistic relationships with contemporary scientists. This episode, we’ll explore Owen’s major scientific contributions and his long-standing reputation as a villain of 19th Century science.

In the news: temnospondyl survivors, big sauropods, dinosaur hunting, and mammoth journeys.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:50
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:10
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:04:30
Patron question: 01:36:35

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Feathers are among the most diverse and complex forms of animal integument. Today, they’re exclusive to birds, where they can be found in a dizzying variety of forms and functions, and incredible fossils reveal even more diversity of feathers on ancient dinosaurs. This episode, we explore the features of modern feathers, the mysteries of feather origins, and the much-discussed question of which ancient animals were truly feathered.

In the news: sturdy bird necks, giant worms, early photosynthesis, and very old skin.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:20
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:15:55
Patron question: 02:11:30

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Blending in with the surroundings is an incredibly useful habit. Even without evidence, this fact would be obvious from the sheer variety of organisms that do it and the vast diversity of strategies and adaptations they use. This episode, we look at what camouflage is and how it works in its many forms, and we explore how we can spot camouflage – and what we can learn from it – in the fossil record.

In the news: curled-up trilobites, Antarctic octopus DNA, crab organs, and giant whales.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:35
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:25
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:29:35
Patron question: 02:14:40

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Happy New Year!

It’s time again for our annual answering-your-questions marathon episode! Thanks to all our askers for a great set of questions!

And as always, a huge thanks to all of you who have supported the podcast this year, whether you’re a top-tier Patron or a newcomer who’s just a couple episodes in. You make Common Descent possible.

Now sit back and enjoy several hours of us rambling about whatever you asked about.

Check out our website for blog posts and more:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Dragonflies and damselflies are incredible insects. They are arguably the world’s most skilled fliers, arguably the world’s most successful predators, and arguably the best insects (so says David). Not only that, they and their ancient cousins have been abundant and successful aerial predators for over 300 million years. This episode, we discuss what sets these bugs apart from all the rest, we explore what’s known of their evolution from their surprisingly good fossil record, and of course we highlight their most famous extinct cousins: the giant griffenflies.

In the news: croc habitats, tyrannosaur food, elephant trunks, and early mosquitos.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:34:15
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:13:15
Patron question: 01:53:45

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Filter feeding is among the most widespread dietary strategies in the world. From tiny bivalves to massive basking sharks, animals have developed a vast array of convergent strategies for filtering tiny food particles out of the water. This episode, we discuss what it takes to be a filter feeder, why it’s so common, the various methods animals employ to make it happen, and how we try (sometimes successfully) to identify filter feeding in the fossil record.

In the news: Thailand trilobites, mammal aging, bird-like footprints, and whale echolocation.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:55
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:22:00
Patron question: 02:04:30

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

The End of the Year Q&A submission form is open! Submit your question here:
https://forms.gle/EeAMhEfnatVWqmnS9

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Mini-episodes are rewards for our high-level supporters on Patreon, each one focusing on a requested topic for a specific Patron. From time to time, we combine a bunch of these and release them as a bundle for all our listeners to enjoy. Enjoy!

A huge thanks as always to our Patrons for their kind and generous contributions to our education efforts.

Intro: 00:00:00
Icarosaurus for Elizabeth - 00:02:25
Corvids for Stephen - 00:17:20
Thylacines for Traci - 00:40:45
Shrikes for Oscar - 01:02:10
Entelodonts for Lucy - 01:20:15
Iguanas for Tobias - 01:46:40

Check out our website for blog posts, additional content, and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

If things get too hot or too cold, the crucial processes inside the cells and tissues of living organisms stop working properly, and that’s bad. So, organisms expend a lot of time and energy managing their body temperatures. This episode, we break down the familiar concepts of “warm-blooded” and “cold-blooded,” we discuss the many adaptations that animals use to manage the heat, we explore what evidence allows us to interpret thermoregulatory strategies in the fossil record, and we investigate what is known about how these strategies have evolved over time.

In the news: soft robot echinoderms, bird tracks, taste evolution, and dinosaur eggs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:45
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:20:30
Patron question: 1:59:00

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

The End of the Year Q&A submission form is open! Submit your question here:
https://forms.gle/EeAMhEfnatVWqmnS9

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Listen up! The world around us is full of sound, and animals have evolved numerous strategies for receiving and interpreting those sounds. In this episode, we discuss the many varieties of sound-sensing organs and how they’ve evolved repeatedly throughout life history. We’ll also explore some of the other important things that ears can do, including the ever-important task of maintaining our equilibrium.

In the news: carnivorous lampreys, caterpillar legs, early dragonflies, and the sea star body plan.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:10
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:45
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:30:15
Patron question: 2:14:05

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

The End of the Year Q&A submission form is open! Submit your question here:
https://forms.gle/EeAMhEfnatVWqmnS9

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome … to Cute-E!

Every October during Spook-E, we have fun speculatively evolving monsters from myths and stories, but we leave out the cuddlier side of fiction. In Cute-E, we’re choosing kinder creatures and discussing how they – or something like them - might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: Dragons.

This episode, we snuggle up with the sweeter side of dragons. How might natural processes produce intelligent, social, and even amicable draconic beasts? Our creatures to create this time: Friendly Dragons.

Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

You can email us at commondescentpodcast@gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

These days, we Homo sapiens are the only humans around, but that wasn’t always the case. This episode, we are joined by special guest Dr. Bridget Alex to discuss our most famous extinct cousins, Neanderthals. We explore what makes them similar and dissimilar to us, what evidence we use to study their lives and culture, and how our understanding of them has grown from outdated misrepresentations to the complex and fascinating people we now know them to have been.

In the news: a fossil bat skull, beaver evolution, early pliosaurs, and Ancient Egyptian snakes

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:25
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:38:35
Patron question: 02:30:35

Find Dr. Alex on her website: bridgetalex.com
Or follow her on Twitter: @bannelia

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

It’s October, and that means it’s Spook-E Season once again! Each episode in the series, we pick a type of monster and explore how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from life in the real world. This year’s theme: Dragons.

This episode, we combine some disparate mythologies. How could nature give rise to a shelled wonder with a mixed reputation? Our creatures to create this time: Turtle Dragons.

Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

You can email us at commondescentpodcast@gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

It’s October, and that means it’s Spook-E Season once again! Each episode in the series, we pick a type of monster and explore how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from life in the real world. This year’s theme: Dragons.

This episode, we investigate a modern favorite. How could natural selection give us a (perhaps) more reasonably shaped dragon? Our creatures to create this time: Wyverns.

Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

You can email us at commondescentpodcast@gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Hadrosaurs (the so-called “duckbill” dinosaurs) and their fellow ornithopods were among the most abundant and successful dinosaur groups of all time. This episode, we discuss their evolution and diversity, and we explore some of the most outstanding and unique features of the group, including their incredible fossil record, complex social behaviors, wacky head ornaments, and their truly incredible mouths.

In the news: fluorescent mammals, snake tracks, leaf mining, and terror bird footprints.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:40
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:14:25
Patron question: 02:18:15

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

It’s October, and that means it’s Spook-E Season once again! Each episode in the series, we pick a type of monster and explore how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from life in the real world. This year’s theme: Dragons.

This episode, we travel to another part of the world. How could we end up with an elemental being that combines the features of many animals? Our creatures to create this time: East Asian Dragons.

Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

You can email us at commondescentpodcast@gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

It’s October, and that means it’s Spook-E Season once again! Each episode in the series, we pick a type of monster and explore how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from life in the real world. This year’s theme: Dragons.

This episode, we start with something familiar. How might evolution produce a fearsome serpentine beast with four legs and two wings? Our creatures to create this time: European Dragons.

Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

You can email us at commondescentpodcast@gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Plants are delicious, nutritious, and full of energy, so they’re prime targets for all sorts of herbivores, parasites, and pathogens. But plants aren’t just sitting passively accepting attacks, they use a variety of strategies to defend themselves, from the frustrating to the fatal. This episode, we’re joined by our favorite paleobotanist, Aly Baumgartner, to discuss the many ways plants defend themselves – physically, chemically, and beyond – and the fascinating evolutionary history of plant defenses and their offenders.

In the news: deep-sea fish, Wollemi pines, learning birds, and plant technology.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:55
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:15
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:12:25
Patron question: 01:48:10

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commondescentpodcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Earth’s oceans change over time, not just in their size and shape, but also in the very dynamics of their ecosystems. The stage was set for modern ocean ecosystems by an event called the Mesozoic Marine Revolution, a dramatic restructuring of ecology in shallow seas that saw the rise of many forms of active predatory lifestyles. This episode, we discuss the fossil evidence, the major players, and the ongoing and sometimes contentious research into this crucial period.

In the news: early arthropods, early apes, prehistoric ravens, and long-necked marine reptiles.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:18:35
Patron question: 01:51:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commondescentpodcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Eating plants isn’t easy, and yet the habit has evolved many times over the history of life on Earth, and herbivores have become essential components of ecosystems as we know them. This episode, we discuss the adaptations animals use to get around the challenges of plant-eating, as well as the incredible history of the repeated origins of herbivory.

In the news: vampire squids, death by ammonite, early archosaurs, and dinosaur tracks.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:35
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:10
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:18:35
Patron question: 02:04:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/commondescentpodcast/
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

There’s a new paleontology-adjacent movie out there, and as usual, it’s a great opportunity to examine how science is translated to the big screen.

Back to the Cretaceous (kind of) – 65 (2023)

Check out our website for more stuff:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

For much of their evolutionary history, whales have been divided into two main lineages: baleen whales and toothed whales. The toothed variety are especially diverse today, including sperm whales, belugas, porpoises, and so, so many dolphins (among others). This episode, we explore what makes toothed whales distinct – besides the obvious – and what the whale fossil record tells us about how they came to be among the most successful marine animals in Earth history.

In the news: leaf-eating birds, tiny whales, whale-like reptiles, and giant whales.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:25
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:42:45
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:24:15
Patron question: 02:23:45

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Throughout Earth history, tectonic forces have changed the shape of the continents – and the oceans! You might be familiar with the Tethys Sea as an ancient ocean nestled against Pangaea, home to marine reptiles and more, but there’s actually a whole series of ancient bodies of water that bear this name. In this episode, we explore the various iterations of the Tethys, discuss how geologists study them, and examine how these ancient oceans shaped the world as we know it today.

In the news: crocodile conservation, fighting fossils, whale evolution, and bird tracks.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:40
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:43:15
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:06:15
Patron question: 01:30:45

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:
https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Mammals are famous for their ability to produce milk, a special substance that is essential for providing newborns with the ingredients they need for healthy development. As it turns out, mammals aren’t the only ones. Milk-like substances have evolved in many groups of animals which nourish their developing young. In this episode, we discuss what milk is, what it does, how it seems to have evolved, and the surprisingly long list of times animals have evolved the habit of providing nutritious fluids to feed their offspring.

In the news: Anomalocaris diets, Asian alligators, ancient puberty, and the Cambrian Explosion.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:55
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:29:35
Patron question: 02:04:10

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Listen to David talk about snake paleontology on Snake Talk!
https://www.oriannesociety.org/snake-talk/

Listen to Will and David discuss the evolution of flight on Little Curiosities!
https://listen.qcodemedia.com/littlecuriosities

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Happy Snake Month!

In this special episode, it’s all about snakes with our very own snake-enthusiast: David!

Thanks to our Patrons for providing the inspiration for these interview questions!

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast our scaly friends!
https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible:
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Snakes are surprisingly good at adapting to life in saltwater. Today’s seafaring serpents include a wide diversity of semi-marine species as well as a fascinating assortment of fully oceanic snakes, and this is a tradition that extends well into the past, with numerous radiations of ancient sea snakes. This episode, we explore the repeated evolution of marine lifestyles in snakes, and the array of adaptations that have allowed them to take to the sea. Happy Snake Month!

In the news: dinosaur hands, snake genetics, decapitated reptiles, and cartwheeling snakes.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:10
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:15
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:19:35
Patron question: 01:54:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Listen to David talk about snake paleontology on Snake Talk!
https://www.oriannesociety.org/snake-talk/

Listen to Will and David discuss the evolution of flight on Little Curiosities!
https://listen.qcodemedia.com/littlecuriosities

Learn more about Disability Pride Month!
https://thearc.org/blog/why-and-how-to-celebrate-disability-pride-month-2023/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Most crocodilians today can handle saltwater to some degree, but many of their ancient cousins were much more suited to a life at sea, including some of the most impressive ocean-going reptiles in history. In this episode, we’ll explore the many lineages of marine crocs that have evolved over the last 150 million years, and we’ll dive into the special adaptations that allowed them to take to the seas over and over again. Happy Croc Month!

In the news: a dinosaur transition, tusked dolphins, bird flutes, and crocodile parthenogenesis

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:18
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:55
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:13:55
Patron question: 01:53:50

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Happy Croc Month!

In this special episode, we talk about crocs with the croc-fanatic himself: our very own Will!

Thanks to our Patrons for providing the inspiration for these interview questions!

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast our scaly friends!
https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

When scientists find a new rock formation or fossil assemblage, how do they determine how old it is? The answer lies in the many varied methods of geologic dating. In this episode, we’ll discuss how we can sort the events in Earth history, how we calculate specific ages for ancient materials – including a deep-dive into radiometric dating! – and most importantly, how these many techniques support and complement each other.

In the news: gaze following, polar pterosaurs, pachycephalosaur heads, and giant marsupials.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:50
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:45
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:31:10
Patron question: 02:20:18

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Trans Lifeline connects trans people to community support and resources:
https://translifeline.org/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In our modern world, there are three major groups of mammals: placentals (that’s most of us), marsupials, and the rare and bizarre monotremes. Today’s monotremes – that’s echidnas and platypuses – are famous for their seemingly “un-mammalian” features: they lack external ears, they deliver milk without nipples, and they even lay eggs! This episode, we discuss what makes monotremes unique, the many questions still unanswered about their ancient history, and whether or not they are truly good representatives of early mammal evolution.

In the news: weird mosasaur teeth, Tibetan sabertooths, marsupial growth, and giant pliosaurs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:50
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:11:40
Patron question: 02:01:10

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

One of the hallmarks of angiosperms (flowering plants) is the formation of a container to hold their seeds. These containers are fruits, and they come in an astonishing variety of forms and functions, far beyond the typical line up of fruits, nuts, and berries we see at the grocery store. Join us and our favorite paleobotanist Dr. Aly Baumgartner as we explore what fruits are, what fruits do, and how fruits came to be so ubiquitous and important in modern ecosystems.

In the news: big predatory amphibians, exceptional fossil preservation, origins of blinking, and cycad cones.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:45
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:36:30
Patron question: 02:14:15

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
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Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

From roughly 1.8 – 0.8 billion years ago, things on Earth seemingly slowed down. The geologic record shows a conspicuous lack of evidence for major climatic, tectonic, or biological changes, a dramatic contrast to the tumultuous times before and after. In this episode, we explore this so-called “Boring Billion” and discuss what made it so unusual. Along the way, we’ll examine claims that there might have been more going on than we think, that this time might have been a critical step toward the modern state of our planet, and that this billion might not have been so boring after all.  

In the news: oldest bats, sauropod skulls, placoderm mouths, and feather-eating beetles.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:45
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:08:15
Patron question: 01:40:30

Listen to us on I Know Dino!
https://iknowdino.com/sinotyrannus-episode-437/

Will was a guest on Sprites of Life!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KmiNQcKWgpT6Nn0FRrMMp

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
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iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

As you might know by now, our high-level supporters on Patreon get to request a topic for their own special mini-episode! Every now and then, we collect the most recent of these and put them together into a compilation for everyone to hear. This is our third one!

A huge thanks as always to our Patrons for their kind contributions to our education efforts.

00:00:00 Intro
00:02:15 Stegosaurs for Sean
00:16:30 Tarantulas for Rebecca
00:35:00 Dilophosaurus for Hobart
00:52:15 Turtles for Quags
01:13:00 Whales for Thea
01:37:45 Parasaurolophus for Krzysztof

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Find us at commondescentpodcast.com

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Check the fingers and toes of your favorite vertebrate animals and you’re likely to find claws or something similar at the ends. These digit-caps come in a variety of shapes – claws, nails, even hooves – for a variety of functions. In this episode, we discuss the close relationship between claw form and function, how we study claws in the fossil record, and the intriguing questions of how claws came to be as we know them today.

In the news: swimming temnospondyls, ants and plants, Troodon eggs, and cooked snails.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:15
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:17:45
Patron question: 01:45:45

Listen to us on I Know Dino!
https://iknowdino.com/sinotyrannus-episode-437/

Will was a guest on Sprites of Life!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KmiNQcKWgpT6Nn0FRrMMp

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

You’re probably familiar with frogs and salamanders, but there is a third group of modern amphibians, the strangest of them all: the worm-like caecilians. In this episode, we’ll explore the many bizarre anatomical features of caecilians, from their tentacled faces to their abrupt hind ends. Then we’ll explore the entire caecilian fossil record (it won’t take long) and tackle the much-discussed mystery of how this fascinating lineage of amphibians got started.

In the news: weird marsupial eyes, long dinosaur necks, and kangaroo rats. Also a retraction!

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:43:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:22:30
Patron question: 01:59:30

HUGE THANKS to our News guests, Sabrina and Garret!
Check out I Know Dino: https://iknowdino.com/
And they have a Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/iknowdino

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We spend a huge portion of our lives sleeping. For us and other animals, it’s clearly a very important behavior. And yet, despite how familiar and commonplace it is, there’s plenty we still don’t understand about sleep: its origins, evolution, and even how to define it in the first place. In this episode, we explore some of the remarkable variation in animal sleeping habits, we discuss some of the ways we study and understand sleep, and we touch upon the crucial – and much debated – question of what sleep even does for us anyway.

In the news: early monotremes, chunky dunk, Permian pollinators, and parasitic ant mutations.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:20:30
Patron question: 02:16:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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Follow and Support us on:
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Once, it was a volcanic crater. Then, it was a lake, perhaps equal parts lush and deadly. Much later, it was a mining site. And finally, today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most famous and heavily studied fossil sites in the world. In this episode, we discuss the history and formation of the Messel Pit, and we ooh and aah over a small sampling of the many thousands of incredible fossils that have been found there.

In the news: lacewing larvae, folding leaves, dinosaur growth, and ankylosaur sounds.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:00:00
Patron question: 01:40:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Giraffes are so famous and familiar to most of us that it can be easy to forget how utterly strange they are. This episode, we explore modern giraffes, their living cousins (okapis!), and their ancient relatives to understand how these monumental mammals came to be how they are. Along the way, we’ll meet a whole variety of wacky-horned fossil species, and we’ll tackle the questions of how and why the giraffe got its long neck.

In the news: dinosaur feet, marine crocs, hunted giant elephants, and bird egg evolution.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:03:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:26:30
Patron question: 02:00:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
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Follow and Support us on:
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Happy Darwin Day!

You’ve seen his artwork. And if you somehow haven’t, you’ve seen lots of art inspired by his artwork. Charles R. Knight might be the most influential paleoartist of all time, inspiring a century’s worth of artists, scientists, and ancient-animal-enthusiasts around the world with his skillful and scientifically-informed works. In this episode, we explore who Knight was, how he became a renowned paleoartist, and his extraordinary role in ushering in the modern world of paleontology.

In the news: Arctic primate-cousins, oldest caecilians, diving bird evolution, and Jehol bird preservation.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:05:00
Patron question: 01:46:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Check out Discovering Us from the Leakey Foundation:
https://leakeyfoundation.org/discovering-us/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

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Follow and Support us on:
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Glowing organisms might seem like something out of science fiction, but not only do they exist here on Earth, they are incredibly common. Some species glow when exposed to certain kinds of light, and others produce their very own light in the darkest habitats on the planet. This episode, we explore glowing life: how they do it, what they use it for, and what we can tell about how this remarkable ability came to be.

In the news: painted turtles, dinosaur herbivores, human brains, and insect ears.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:29:00
Patron question: 02:10:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Paleozoic Era was home to many strange and fascinating extinct groups, and among the most eye-catching of these were the eurypterids. Colloquially called “sea scorpions,” these carnivorous aquatic arthropods came in many forms for many habitats and are now known from many amazing fossils. In this episode, we discuss what makes eurypterids distinct from similar organisms, what we know about their lifestyles, and the many ways they continue to surprise and confuse us.

In the news: Brazilian crocs, injured cats, breeding ichthyosaurs, and mammal-munching dinos.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:03:30
Patron question: 01:48:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Happy New Year!

It’s been an exciting and eventful year for the podcast, and we’re glad you’ve been along for the ride! As usual, this is our annual Q&A where we answer the many, many questions our listeners submitted – the scientific, the silly, and the personal.

Thanks as always to all of our listeners, our Patrons, our special guests, and to everyone who supports the podcast in ways big and small.

See you next year.

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

It’s a great time of year to talk about conifers! Also their cousins: cycads, ginkgos, and others! Gymnosperms don’t get nearly as much love and attention as their flowering counterparts, the inescapable angiosperms, but they nonetheless have their own fascinating history going all the way back to some of the earliest forests on Earth. This episode, we’re joined once again by our favorite paleobotanist Dr. Aly Baumgartner to discuss what makes gymnosperms unique, what has made them so successful for hundreds of millions of years, and how these incredible plants have changed the world.

In the news: fossil-finding robots, super-old DNA, ankylosaur clubs, and snake sex organs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:45
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:38:30
Patron question: 02:36:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Viviparity is the reproductive style where embryos develop inside a parent’s body instead of inside an egg the parent lays. It’s a very familiar habit to us placental mammals, but it’s also an extremely widespread and diverse feature of life. Seriously, it’s ridiculous just how many times viviparity has evolved and just how many different ways species have found to be viviparous. In this episode we’ll answer such questions as: How and why does viviparity evolve? What features vary from one viviparous group to the next? And how do we identify viviparous animals in the fossil record?

In the news: army ants, oldest lizards, beaver families, and swimming dinosaurs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:33:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:13:30
Patron question: 01:46:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

The 2022 End of the Year Q&A Form is LIVE! Submit your question now!
https://forms.gle/GTgew75GmVxAKejt6

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Built-in body armor is common among reptiles and rare among mammals, but armadillos are the major exception. Equipped with a full set of segmented armor over their heads, backs, and tails, armadillos have been waddling around well-protected for tens of millions of years, and their ancient relatives include some of the most famous and preposterous of extinct mammals. This episode, we discuss the unique features and fascinating history of armadillos, glyptodonts, and their other ancient cousins.

In the news: roots and extinction, new croc-like reptiles, early cooking, and giant turtles.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:31:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:05:30
Patron question: 01:39:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

The 2022 End of the Year Q&A Form is LIVE! Submit your question now!
https://forms.gle/GTgew75GmVxAKejt6

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

You might have noticed that over the last few decades, a lot of really exciting and famous fossil discoveries have been coming out of China. If you pay close attention, you might even catch that many of them are coming from the same place: the incredible fossil assemblages of the Jehol Biota. We’ve mentioned Jehol fossils many times on the podcast, but in this episode, we focus on the big picture: where do these fossils come from, why are they so incredibly well-preserved, and what are just some of the fascinating research questions we can answer by examining these amazing fossils?

In the news: bird evolution, dinosaur growth patterns, mammal speciation rates, and glowing scallops.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:08:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:48:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:15:30
Patron question: 01:51:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

The 2022 End of the Year Q&A Form is LIVE! Submit your question now!
https://forms.gle/GTgew75GmVxAKejt6

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Look at the various animals on Earth – or rather, look just behind them – and you’ll see a vast variety of tails! Tails and tail-like structures are often simple extensions of the body, and yet they’ve been adapted and modified into many shapes with many functions, and because they’re often so important to an animal’s lifestyle, they can be especially useful for paleontologists trying to understand ancient animals. In this episode, we’ll discuss definitions, diversity, functions, and fossils of tails.

In the news: drought fossils, early fish jaws, early fish fins, and paleontology video games.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:33:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:18:30
Patron question: 01:53:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monsters of Dungeons and Dragons.

This episode, we delve into a paranoia-inducing scourge of dungeons. What hypothetical natural scenario might cultivate a shape-shifting ambush hunter that disguises itself as inanimate objects? Our creatures to create this time: Mimics.

Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

And share your Spook-E musings on social media with the hashtag #SpookE

Check out our blog for podcast info, fan art, and more!
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp
Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monsters of Dungeons and Dragons.

This episode, we gaze upon something truly alien. Can we formulate an evolutionary path to produce a malicious floating orb creature that stares at the world through many eyes? Our creatures to create this time: Beholders.

Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

And share your Spook-E musings on social media with the hashtag #SpookE

Check out our blog for podcast info, fan art, and more!
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Stegosaurus is one of the all-time most famous and recognizable dinosaurs, but it wasn’t alone! Its whole extended family, the stegosaurs, were medium- to large-sized herbivorous dinosaurs sporting an array of plates and spikes. This episode, we discuss the diversity and deep history of stegosaurs, what we know of their lifestyles, and of course the big questions: just what were they doing with that ridiculous armor?

In the news: Moon impacts, bird brains, Jurassic vomit, and super-old algae.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:31:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 00:58:30
Patron question: 01:48:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent
Check out Riley Black’s newest book: The Last Days of the Dinosaurs

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monsters of Dungeons and Dragons.

This episode, we roll out a monster that’s tough to get grasp on. From where on the tree of life might we develop a many-limbed predator with a knack for fooling the eye? Our creatures to create this time: Displacer beasts.

Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

And share your Spook-E musings on social media with the hashtag #SpookE

Check out our blog for podcast info, fan art, and more!
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp
Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monsters of Dungeons and Dragons.

This episode, we play with a classic chimera. How might nature select for a beast that combines the fierce features of a bear and a bird of prey? Our creatures to create this time: Owlbears.

Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

And share your Spook-E musings on social media with the hashtag #SpookE

Check out our blog for podcast info, fan art, and more!
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp
Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Subscribe for a free 30-day trial at Audible! www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Follow and Support us on:
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

In our modern world, ants are so ubiquitous that it’s difficult to image our planet without them, so successful that they shape the environments around them despite their tiny size, and so diverse that we couldn’t possibly discuss even a small fraction of their diversity in this one podcast episode. We’ll touch on some of what makes ants unique, list a few of our favorite examples of modern ant lifestyles, and dive into what is known about their ancient history and evolution. Get ready for fire ants, bullet ants, dinosaur ants, hell ants, and more.

In the news: mysterious maybe-molluscs, giant otters, tuatara cousins, and fossil fish organs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:31:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:30
Patron question: 01:54:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Follow this link for a 30 day free trial to Audible!
www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Powered flight is hard, and evolution has only produced it a few times. Gliding, however, is much easier and much more common. In fact, there is an astonishing diversity of gliding organisms to be found in our modern world as well as in the fossil record, with an incredible variety in the adaptations they use to sail through the sky. This episode, we’ll explore what it takes to glide and what patterns we see in gliding evolution, and we’ll also geek out about all the amazing sizes, shapes, and strategies of gliders.

In the news: coral mutations, African dinosaurs, croc brains, and ancient amputation.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:28:30
Patron question: 02:22:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Support Mouse’s classroom!
https://www.donorschoose.org/classroom/mx-hecht

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

For many years, scientists pondered the question: how and why do offspring inherit traits from their parents? And key to the answer to that question is another question: what determines an organism’s traits in the first place? The pursuit of these answers ultimately led to the modern field of genetics, which itself is crucial to the study of evolution. This episode, we address just a few key points on this vast topic, with a focus on how our understanding of genetics allows us to interpret the history of evolution on our planet.

In the news: early fruit-eating, giant Australian birds, beaver evolution, and human speech.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:08:30
Patron question: 02:00:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Every period of geologic time is distinguished by its own environmental and ecological features, and every boundary between time periods is characterized by change. The boundary between the Jurassic Period and the Cretaceous Period is mostly marked by mystery. Was there a mass extinction? Were there catastrophic changes? Where even is the boundary exactly? In this episode, we’ll discuss the answers – or lack thereof – to these questions and more as we explore this surprisingly enigmatic time in Earth history.

In the news: croc conservation, diving whales, aquatic mammal-cousins, and sauropod feet.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:15
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:00:30
Patron question: 01:33:30

We recently appeared on the Juras-Sick-Park-Cast!
https://jurassickparkcast.blogspot.com/2022/07/episode-20-when-dinosaurs-ruled-earth.html

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We live in a solar-powered world. Photosynthesis is the process by which some organisms (notably plants and cyanobacteria) harness the energy of sunlight to power their own metabolism, in the process creating the sugars (food) which provide a source of energy for all sorts of other organisms, not to mention releasing oxygen as well. Photosynthesis is the reason our planet is the way it is, from the diversity of life to the composition of the atmosphere. In this episode, we discuss the diversity of photosynthesis and photosynthesizers, what we know about the evolutionary history of the process, and how it has profoundly changed the world.

In the news: freshwater plesiosaurs, endothermy evolution, whale shark diets, and bone-crushing dogs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:08:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:43:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:45:30
Patron question: 02:31:00
Please forgive our mismatched audio in the Intro and News sections.

We recently appeared on the Juras-Sick-Park-Cast!
https://jurassickparkcast.blogspot.com/2022/07/episode-20-when-dinosaurs-ruled-earth.html

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The history of evolution is full of species of unusual size, big and small. But the factors that lead to evolutionary miniaturization or embiggening can be quite varied and are not all fully agreed-upon by scientists. This episode, we discuss what it means for life to evolve huge or tiny, what trends researchers have identified in body size evolution, and which of those trends actually holds up to further scrutiny.

In the news: krait venom, a frozen pup, parental water bugs, and giant storks.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:32:30
Patron question: 02:10:30

IT’S SNAKE MONTH! Check out our Snake Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon!

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Happy Snake Month!

In this bonus episode, we discuss snake conservation and geek out about snakes with special guest Hiral Naik of Save the Snakes. We talk about what it takes to save snakes, why snakes are so worthy of our attention and respect, and why education is such a major part of snake conservation!

Follow Hiral on
Twitter: @HiralNaik25
Instagram: @hirals_hive

Save The Snakes: https://savethesnakes.org/ 
Twitter: @savethesnakes
Instagram: @savingsnakes
Snake Education and Community Awareness Program (SECAP): https://www.secap.info/

World Snake Day: https://www.snakes.ngo/wsd/

Check out more Snake Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon (links below)!

Check out our blog for more info about us and our episodes:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Monitor lizards are charismatic, surprisingly diverse, full of surprising biological features, and on top of all that, they include the largest terrestrial lizards in history. Also, they’re closely related to snakes (it is Snake Month, after all). That’s a cool group of lizards! In this episode, we discuss what makes these lizards so unique and fascinating, and we dive into their long but often mysterious fossil record to address some major questions about monitor evolution.

In the news: vampire squids, dinosaur eggs, octopus intelligence, and pickled snakes.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:45
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:19:30
Patron question: 01:57:00

IT’S SNAKE MONTH! Check out our Snake Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon!

Links to the organizations we mentioned in the Intro:
National Network of Abortion Funds: https://abortionfunds.org/about/
Answer: https://answer.rutgers.edu/page/aboutusintro

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Take a walk along the waterways of the Late Triassic, and you could easily think it was a world full of crocodiles! But in fact, those are not crocs, but phytosaurs, a group of predatory reptiles that represent not only one of the oldest groups of carnivorous reptiles to achieve a near-global distribution, but also one of evolution's most famous cases of convergent evolution. So, what features did phytosaurs share with crocs? Where did they differ? And just how croc-like were their lifestyles? Listen in and find out!

In the news: dinosaur belly buttons, tiny frogs, snake venom, and giant dwarf crocs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:45
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:11:30
Patron question: 01:47:00

IT’S CROC MONTH! Check out our Croc Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon!

We recently made a guest appearance on Third Pod From the Sun, where we discussed the K-Pg mass extinction! https://thirdpodfromthesun.com/2022/06/10/extinctions-dinosaurs-a-big-rock-andclimate-change/

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Once again, we return to the Jurassic franchise! And as usual with these movies, there’s lots to discuss about the portrayal of ancient animals, scientific concepts, and scientists.

Another trilogy concludes – Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)

_

IT’S CROC MONTH! Check out our Croc Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon!

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Happy Croc Month!

In this special episode, we talk croc conservation and geek out about crocs with special guest Dr. Marisa Tellez of the Crocodilian Research Coalition. We learn about what it’s like to study crocs in the wild, we discuss the importance of public education, and we hear some of Marisa’s amazing croc tales!

Follow Marisa on Instagram and Twitter: @crocparasites13

CRC Info:
Webpage: www.crocodileresearchcoalition.org
Facebook and Pinterest: Crocodile Research Coalition
Instagram: @crocodileresearchcoalition
Twitter: @CrocResCoal
TikTok: crc_crocresearchcoal

Check out more Croc Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon (links below)!

Check out our blog for more info about us and our episodes:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow, Join, and Support us on:
Discord: https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Pangaea, the supercontinent that existed when our modern continents were puzzle-pieced together. But have you heard of Rodinia? Or Columbia? Scientists have only come to realize in the last few decades that supercontinents are a recurring feature of our planet. This episode, we discuss what counts as a supercontinent, what evidence they leave behind, and the various ways they impact just about every other feature of our planet as they continuously come together and break apart.

In the news: croc resilience, American cheetahs, dome-headed giraffoids, and traveling termites.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:43:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:14:30
Patron question: 02:03:30

IT’S CROC MONTH! Check out our Croc Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon!

We recently made a guest appearance on Third Pod From the Sun, where we discussed the K-Pg mass extinction! https://thirdpodfromthesun.com/2022/06/10/extinctions-dinosaurs-a-big-rock-andclimate-change/

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Recently, BBC Studios put out a new documentary series set in the world of the Late Cretaceous, so we’re doing our first-ever Silver Screen Science discussion focused on a documentary!

The documentary in question: Prehistoric Planet.

Happy Croc Month! Special things are going on throughout this (and next) month in all the places linked below!

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Who doesn’t like a flashy bit of headgear? A wide variety of cranial ornamentation is found on a wide variety of animals: sharp horns, branching antlers, bumpy knobs, and more. In this episode, we break down what technically counts as a “horn” (you’ll be unsurprised to learn there isn’t a simple answer!), the vast diversity of animal headgear today and in the fossil record, and the various ways animals have found to use these remarkable structures.

In the news: sabertoothed faces, head origins, dinosaur climates, and ancient false gharials.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:20:00
Patron question: 02:16:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Scavenging isn’t easy. There’s a reason most scavengers are only part-time carrion-eaters. But vultures are exquisitely adapted for a dedicated lifestyle of finding and feasting on carcasses, and as a result, they’ve made themselves invaluable members of ecosystems all over the globe. In this episode, we explore vulture evolution, their ancient history, and the adaptations that make them the world’s most famous scavengers.

In the news: insect wings, trilobite mating, a “small” sauropod, and post-Cretaceous plants.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:00
Patron question: 01:44:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It's an easy mistake to think of the Moon as a simple accessory to our planet, but the Earth and Moon are a close-knit pair, and the Moon influences everything from our tides to our magnetic fields to the brightness of our nights. All life on Earth has evolved in the presence of the Moon, and so life on Earth can't be fully understood without considering our cosmic companion. In this episode, we discuss how the Moon influences life past and present, and what we know about the deep history of the Earth-Moon relationship.

In the news: pterosaur colors, a glowing spider, deformed pollen, and a long-toed tetrapod.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:30
Patron question: 01:55:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We talk about fossils a lot on this podcast – every episode, in fact – but we rarely take the time to discuss how fossils get the way they are. This is a crucial subject, because the fossilization process is a filter, and nothing comes through the filter unaltered, and many things don’t come through at all. In this episode, we talk about how fossils typically form, how we study this process, and why it’s so important for paleontologists to understand fossilization.

In the news: giant croc tracks, injured dino footprints, evolution in cities, and ancient snakey-ness.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:00
Patron question: 01:52:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Seahorses are very strange fish, with their upright posture, tube-like mouths, and various other unusual features. Along with their cousins in the family Syngnathidae, seahorses have been the subject of much research into how they came about their bizarre body plans and lifestyles. In this episode, we discuss a bit of what we know of how seahorses (and their relatives) do what they do, and how they came to do it.

In the news: trilobite predators, early jaws, de-extinction troubles, and spinosaur bone density.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:26:30
Patron question: 02:08:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Our highest-level supporters on Patreon get their own special mini-episode on a topic of their choosing! We released the first five in a compilation a while ago, and now that we’ve done five more, here’s another compilation for everyone to enjoy.

Special thanks to our Patrons for their generous contributions, and thanks also to our special guest, Laura!

00:00:00 Intro
00:02:15 Crinoids for Lewis
00:16:15 Acrocanthosaurus for Will
00:36:30 The Hadean for Jordan
00:52:30 Fainting Goats for Mike
01:12:30 Scabies for Andreas

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Every plant starts somewhere, and often that somewhere is inside a seed. Seeds are among the most diverse and important evolutionary innovations of plants, allowing species to survive, thrive, and travel between generations in extraordinary ways. This episode, Aly joins us to discuss how seeds do what they do, how seeds have evolved over time, and how seeds are invaluable resources for paleontologists seeking to understand plants of the past.  

In the news: early octopus-cousins, early tuatara cousins, evolution of walking, and how sauropods moved.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:46:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:39:00
Patron question: 02:22:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Paleoartist Rob Soto has created some fantastic artwork for the podcast over the years. Most recently, for our Five Year Anniversary celebration, he produced our Five Year logo and a series of movie-poster-style depictions of famous fossil localities, all now available on our merch store!

In this special episode, we continue our Five Year celebration by sitting down with Rob to discuss his background in art and the process of creating the Art of Common Descent.

Find Rob online: https://linktr.ee/RaptorRobb

You can check out Rob’s art and other merchandise on our Zazzle store: http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Blood is nutritious, easy to digest, and not hard to come by, so it’s unsurprising – if a bit unsettling – that thousands of species have evolved a taste for the stuff. From birds to bats to bugs, the diversity of sanguivores includes a wide variety of body plans, feeding strategies, and unique evolutionary histories, all converging upon a similar set of behaviors and features honed for a diet of blood. Be aware, this episode is, at times, kinda gross.

In the news: a new spinosaur, a new pterosaur, a new abelisaur, and a new euphorbia.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:27:00
Patron question: 02:19:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

None of us are alone. Like, in the literal, biological sense. Symbiotic relationships – close interactions between unrelated organisms – are a defining feature of life on Earth. Each of our bodies has its own share of parasites, hitchhikers, and tiny helpers, and some of the most prominent ecosystems on Earth function only by virtue of the symbiotic relationships at their foundations. In this episode, we touch on the incredible diversity and impact of symbiosis, and how the deep history of these relationships has created the world we know today.

In the news: sick sauropods, puking pterosaurs, jumping genes in snakes, and dino-eating crocs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:24:30
Patron question: 02:05:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode 132 – Mary and Louis Leakey

Happy Darwin Day!

Mary and Louis Leakey are two of the biggest names in the history of paleoanthropology and human evolution, and they’re one of history’s most impressive scientific duos. In this episode, our special guest takes us through the tales of the Leakey’s most important scientific work, their personal lives, and the ongoing impact they’ve had on modern science.

Our guest this episode is Meredith Johnson, Communications Director at the Leakey Foundation and host of Origin Stories!
Learn more here: https://leakeyfoundation.org/category/origin-stories/
Follow the Leakey Foundation at @TheLeakeyFndtn
Follow Origin Stories at @OriginsPodcast

In the news: artificial intelligence meets fossils, red nectar evolution, arthropod nervous systems, and ancient human diets.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:08:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:46:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:27:00
Patron question: 02:08:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

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The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Volcanoes are fascinating, devastating, and fundamental to Earth systems. Volcanic eruptions can transform ecosystems, landscapes, and even the atmosphere, and at their most extreme, the effects of volcanism can be global and long-lasting. In this overstuffed episode, we discuss the many forms and features of volcanic activity, and we take a look at the complex and dramatic interaction between volcanoes and life on Earth.

In the news: ankylosaur brains, an Australian rainforest, donkey hybrids, and the Tonga volcanic eruption.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:44:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:27:30
Patron question: 02:37:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

With every breath you take, you’re collecting information about your surroundings. We humans are actually pretty skilled smellers, as these things go, but olfactory abilities vary widely across the animal kingdom (and beyond). In this episode, we discuss how smelling works, what smelling is good for, and how scientists explore the evolutionary history of smell.

In the news: giant ichthyosaurs, giant millipedes, long-tongued birds, and oviraptorid embryos.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:27:30
Patron question: 02:07:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Happy New Year!

Thanks as always to everyone who submitted questions for the Q&A. Thanks to everyone for listening, sharing, and supporting the podcast this year and for our whole run of nearly five years. We make the podcast, but you, our audience, make the podcast possible.

More to come. See you in 2022.

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Today, rhinos are famous for their large size and impressive horns (and their distressing conservation status, sadly), but modern rhinos are only a small sample of what rhinos have been over time. Thanks to a surprisingly good rhino fossil record, we have a pretty good picture of how these animals got started and of the surprising forms they’ve taken since, from horse-like runners to hippo-shaped waders to gargantuan behemoths. This episode, we discuss rhinos as we know them, rhinos when they were weird, and a few rhino-y things that aren’t rhinos at all.

In the news: ancient croc hunting, dinosaur colors, shrinking orangutans, and ammonite soft tissue.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:13:30
Patron question: 02:12:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
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You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Far below the ocean surface is a vast environment of cold, darkness, very scarce food, and surprisingly diverse life. Deep sea life is quite mysterious, in part because of their unusual adaptations for surviving in such tough habitats, and also because it’s very difficult to study organisms of the deep, modern or fossil. In this episode, we discuss what is known about the adaptations, evolutionary history, and diversity of life in the deep sea.

In the news: blade-tailed ankylosaurs, ostrich-like dinosaurs, shrimps in clams, and carnivorous ichthyosaurs.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:25:30
Patron question: 02:01:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

We're now taking questions for our End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here: https://forms.gle/Q3jHtLSp5CdFuAuL9

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Surprise! A special short(ish) episode of Silver Screen Science to discuss the Prologue/Trailer for Jurassic World: Dominion!

Time markers:
Science Discussion: 00:00
More Thoughts: 25:00

We're now taking questions for our End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here: https://forms.gle/Q3jHtLSp5CdFuAuL9

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Located across a wide area of the Upper Great Plains of the United States, the Hell Creek Formation is one of the world’s premier locations for studying the Age of Dinosaurs, especially trends of evolution – and extinction – at the very end of the Mesozoic Era. In this episode, we discuss the ancient history and scientific history of the region, including some famous finds and groundbreaking research.

In the news: giant ammonites, extinction beetles, baby pterosaurs, and the controversial Tetrapodophis.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:02:30
Patron question: 01:37:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

We're now taking questions for our End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here: https://forms.gle/Q3jHtLSp5CdFuAuL9

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Evolution loves to plagiarize. You might be surprised at just how useful it can be for an organism to copy the signals, sights, sounds, and smells of others. Mimicry is all about making use of miscommunication. In this episode we’ll discuss the astounding diversity of modern mimics, the rare examples of fossil mimics, and the complex and confusing evolution patterns of mimicry.

In the news: Cambrian bryozoans, early tusks, hermit worms, and parthenogenetic condors.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:20:30
Patron question: 01:59:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

We're now taking questions for our End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here: https://forms.gle/Q3jHtLSp5CdFuAuL9

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Orchids are among the most diverse and widespread group of plants on Earth today, not to mention one of the most popular among plant enthusiasts. This episode, we discuss what makes orchids so unique and strange, as well as the many mysteries surrounding their evolution and deep history. As with all our plant episodes, Aly is on hand to tell us all about why orchids are so fascinating.

Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist!
Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax

In the news: Permian gliders, social dinosaurs, amber crab, and snake diets.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:12:00
Patron question: 01:39:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

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Follow and Support us on:
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com
Or send us physical mail at:
The Common Descent Podcast
1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165
Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a famous monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monster plants.

This episode, we face a more modern monster, star of page and screen. Can we invoke natural processes to develop a plant that haunts humans and strikes with a deadly lash? Our creatures to create this time: triffids. 

Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist! 
Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find Spook-E merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow and Support us on: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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Instagram: @commondescentpodcast 
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ 
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. 
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a famous monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monster plants.

This episode, we evaluate a famous and deadly monster favored by healers and witches. How can we use nature’s toolkit to evolve a baby-shaped root with a fatal scream? Our creatures to create this time: mandrakes.

Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist!
Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find Spook-E merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

An Earth covered in ice might sound far-fetched, but there’s reason to think it has actually happened in the past – more than once. In this episode, we examine the Snowball Earth hypothesis and the geologic evidence and climate models that back it up, as well as some of the major lingering questions: Just how snowy is the snowball? How could this start? How could it end? And how did life fare on a frozen planet?

In the news: ancient tardigrades, meat-eating sloths, shark communities, and relict mangroves.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:02:00
Patron question: 01:44:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a famous monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monster plants.

This episode, we ponder a familiar favorite of myths, media, and Middle Earth. What evolutionary path might result in a towering woody plant that walks and talks? Our creatures to create this time: animated trees.

Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist!
Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find Spook-E merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a famous monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monster plants.

This episode, we consider a classic category of plants-turned-monsters. How might natural selection produce a predatory plant with a taste for humans? Our creatures to create this time: people-eating plants.

Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist!
Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find Spook-E merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Spiders are among the most diverse, successful, and famous living groups of invertebrates. Today, they’re a worldwide assortment of fascinating predators, and their scarce fossil record provides hints of a history over 300 million years old. In this episode, we discuss the diversity and evolution of spiders, their varied lifestyles, and their most versatile and famous tool, silk.

In the news: snake evolution, giant penguins, early American humans, and spider parents.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:12:30
Patron question: 01:53:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Follow and Support us on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Earth is in motion beneath our feet. The shifting and grinding of the tectonic plates is responsible for the shape of our planet’s surface and – directly or indirectly – nearly all the activity that happens upon it. Plate tectonics has a deep and fascinating history, both as a force that has shaped the Earth for billions of years and as a surprisingly recent foundational scientific theory.

In the news: shark teeth, Cambrian predators, Carnotaurus skin, and teratorns.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:29:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:30
Patron question: 01:57:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
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Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Nearly all animals have some form of nervous system, and this system is often monitored and regulated by a brain. We humans are particularly proud of our enormous brains, but these organs come in all shapes and sizes across the animal kingdom, past and present. In this episode, we discuss brain diversity, the sometimes roundabout ways we explore brains in the fossil record, and what we’ve come to learn about the evolution of brains.

In the news: turtle embryo, frog-legged leaf beetle, early lizard cousin, and tyrannosaur brains.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:15
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:34:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:12:45
Patron question: 02:05:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Ever since T. rex was first identified in 1905, tyrannosaurs have been among the most famous and well-studied dinosaurs of all time. Research, especially in the last few decades, has revealed incredible details of tyrannosaur evolution, lifestyles, and development. This episode, we take a tour through tyrannosaur history, envision what these predators were like in life, and touch on some of the most prominent tyrannosaur controversies, including their notorious popularity.

In the news: venom evolution, mammoth roaming, Jurassic land-croc, and climate change.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:45:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:24:00
Patron question: 02:44:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

India is a landmass with an incredible history. Over the past half-billion years, it has spent time with the southern continents, time as an island-on-the-move, and time with the northern continents. Its fossil record is a combination of southern life, northern life, and uniquely Indian life, and its geologic history is not only the story of a traveling subcontinent, but also the origin story of one of Earth’s most impressive mountain ranges.

In the news: baby pterosaurs, vampire bats, early sponges, and snake-y ancient reptiles.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 00:55:30
Patron question: 01:38:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast 

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

As organisms live, grow, and move in their environments, they leave all sorts of traces in their surroundings, and these can become fossilized just like body parts can. Trace fossils (ichnofossils) can include evidence of burrowing, walking, feeding, and more. Individual trace fossils are great for understanding the behaviors of ancient organisms, and communities of trace fossils can help us track major changes in ecosystems through time.

In the news: damaged cave bear, shrinking dinosaurs, koala lemurs, and megaripples.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:11:30
Patron question: 01:55:00

We're on a new podcast! We're both players on Mysteries of the Mournland, a Level Up: Advanced Fifth Edition actual play horror podcast, set in the world of Eberron.
https://motma5epodcast.podbean.com/

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What exactly is a “crab” anyway? One answer is that they are among the most diverse and successful living arthropods. Another answer: they are many different groups of crustaceans that have converged on a crabby body plan. In this episode, we discuss the diversity and evolution of “true crabs,” the incredible phenomenon of carcinization that keeps creating crabs, and what it really means to be a “crab.”

In the news: poop beetles, Arctic dinosaurs, Dragon Man, and an ancient shark attack.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:06:00
Patron question: 01:46:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The history of evolution has seen many land animals move to the sea, but few have done it with such success and specialization as ichthyosaurs. These Mesozoic marine reptiles were the first group of tetrapods to truly dominate the marine realm, and they evolved some of the most extreme adaptations – and largest bodies – of any ocean-dwelling tetrapods. This episode, we discuss how they got started, what they did, where they went, and why they’re so incredibly famous.

In the news: giant crocs, giant rhinos, young tyrannosaurs, and dwarf elephants.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:15:00
Patron question: 01:59:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This June, by popular demand, we’re doing a Silver Screen Science double feature focusing on our two favorite reptiles: crocs and snakes. One croc movie, one snake movie, both quintessential creature features of the 90s.

This episode, it’s snake time: Anaconda (1997)

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

This June, by popular demand, we’re doing a Silver Screen Science double feature focusing on our favorite reptiles: crocs and snakes! One croc movie, one snake movie, both quintessential creature features of the 90s.

This episode, crocs take center stage: Lake Placid (1999)

Next time … Anaconda.

The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

All over the Earth, there are biological communities that differ depending on the local climate and landscape. These are biomes, and biologists love to map them to unravel patterns of ecosystem distribution. But biomes also change over time as climates and landscapes shift. In this episode, our favorite paleobotanist, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, joins us to discuss how we identify biomes in the past and present, how they’ve changed over time, and what it means for a new biome to arise … or for an old one to go extinct.

In the news: whale diets, moa poop, shark extinction, and flower seeds.

Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:33:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:11:30
Patron question: 01:46:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Far to the north and far to the south, conditions on Earth get weird. Cold climates and periods of perpetual night or day create some of the most unique habitats on the planet. In this episode, we look at what makes the polar regions so strange, how they’ve changed over time, what it takes for life to survive there, and what fossils tell us about what lived there in the past.

In the news: gut microbiomes, chewed Neanderthals, ancient symbiosis, and very old turtles.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:13:30
Patron question: 01:44:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The geologic record of Earth is an archive of data on the causes and effects of changing climates. As climate changes, it impacts everything from plants and animals to rocks and rivers. The study of ancient climates is paleoclimatology, and it’s important not only for our understanding of climate in the past, but also for teasing out what’s happening with our climate today and what we can expect for the future.

In the news: tyrannosaur group, a chomped squid, horned crocs, and night dinosaurs.

This episode, we’re joined by Dr. Rachel Lupien!
Find Rachel at rachellupien.com or follow her at @loopdlupien on Twitter.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:42:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:26:00
Patron question: 02:11:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

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iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Subterranean passages and chambers within the Earth form eerie and incredible environments that are home to unique ecosystems of bizarre creatures and which serve as some of the most invaluable sources of fossils in the world. This episode, we discuss how caves form, what ecosystems dwell within them, and why they’re so darn important for paleontology.

In the news: pterosaur thumbs, scimitar-cat diets, counting T. rex, and ancient soil DNA.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:03:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:00
Patron question: 01:55:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

There isn’t much on Earth quite like an ant colony or a beehive. Lots of animals are social, but relatively few are eusocial. It’s a bizarre lifestyle, living in large multi-generational colonies with lots of members who don’t reproduce but instead dedicate their lives to protecting and nourishing the offspring of the few reproducers. In this episode, we discuss the many questions surrounding this phenomenon, including how many times this trait has evolved, why it’s apparently so beneficial, and exactly how natural selection could even produce such a strange lifestyle.  

In the news: venom evolution, pointy things, early rainforests, and bone origins.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:15:00
Patron question: 02:02:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We’ve talked a lot about Godzilla and King Kong in previous Silver Screen Science episodes, and now there’s a new movie with both of them in it, so we’re going to talk about that! More monster fights, more science, more fun.

This episode, the all-star monsters are back: Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
We also briefly discuss the last time these monsters met: King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Go searching in the right spots in Illinois and you’re liable to find a hard chunk of ironstone with a gorgeous fossil inside. The Mazon Creek Fossil Beds represent some of the best Carboniferous fossils in the world, yielding exceptionally preserved plants and animals from a tropical river delta over 300 million years old. This episode, we discuss the history, the geology, and some of the most famously bizarre creatures of Mazon Creek.

In the news: a “winged” shark, digging ankylosaurs, the oldest cephalopods, and a fly full of pollen.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:33:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 00:56:00
Patron question: 01:22:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Despite their unfortunate reputation, hyenas are really impressive. Modern and fossil, they’re a diverse group with a variety of dietary and social habits, and they are the quintessential example of bone-crushing specialists. In this episode, we discuss what makes hyenas unique and interesting, and we take a look at their surprisingly varied fossil history.

In the news: lamprey larvae, octopus diets, nesting dinosaurs, and tyrannosaur bites.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:03:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:34:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:11:30
Patron question: 01:49:00