The Common Descent Podcast

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Tiny Monsters. This episode, things heat up a bit. What selective pressures might lead to the...

It’s the final part of our fungal trilogy! Fungi and animals interact in a wide variety of ways, from parasitism to partnership to predation. This episode, we explore how fungi and animals have evolved alongside each other and the adaptations they have developed to take advantage of each other, and we’ll examine how far back we can find these fungus-animal interactions in the fossil record. In the...

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Tiny Monsters. This episode, we explore a favorite of fanciful fables. How might natural sele...

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Tiny Monsters. This episode, we’ve chosen a modern classic. How might we evolve adorable fluf...

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 one of the longest-running paleo-podcast hosts around: Dave Marshall from Palaeocast! Find Palaeocast here: https://www.palaeocast.com/ Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent Join us on Patreon to support the podcast a...

Our fungal celebration continues! The relationship between fungi and plants is one of the most famous and consequential connections in biological history. This episode, Aly is here to help us explore how fungi and plants work together and work against each other, what we know about the deep history of their relationship, and how fungi and plants together have shaped the world as we know it. Fungi...

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 contributions to our education efforts. Intro: 00:00:00 T. rex for Sam – 00:02:02 Okapis for Sarah Ma...

Here it is! The most requested episode topic in the history of the podcast! Fungi are everywhere. This episode, we explore how fungi work, what makes them different from other organisms, and how they achieve a wide variety of lifestyles all over the world. We’ll also look back at their evolutionary history and fossil record to explore some of the most significant fungal moments of Earth’s past. Fu...

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This episode, we chat with Gavin, Fia, and Mike, hosts of I Wish You Were Dead! Find I Wish You Were Dead in these places: https://open.spotify.com/show/4lMCmCwK9y9xThOMVUcHiM https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbKAuMrj_7PUI0GqU9QQnhg https://www.facebook.com/IWishYouWereD...

Sometimes, an animal just needs to power down and wait. Many animals exhibit some form of torpor, including the long-term dormancy of hibernation. This episode, we explore how these species adjust their body functions, we discuss the pros and cons of this surprisingly common biological strategy, and we’ll take a look at what we know about the evolutionary history and fossil record of hibernation....

Eels are long-bodied fish found in a variety of aquatic habitats, famous for their unusual body plans, distinctive life cycles, and occasional anatomical oddities like extra jaws. This episode, we’re joined by special guest Shay Maden to discuss the diversity, evolution, and fossil history of the true eels of the Order Anguilliformes, and we’ll also make mention of other famous “eels” and the repe...

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This episode, another returning guest: Meredith Johnson, host of Origin Stories, the Leakey Foundation podcast! Find Origin Stories here: https://leakeyfoundation.org/learn/originstories/ Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent Join us on Patreon to...

Some animals are specialists at eating particularly tough foods like shells, seeds, and bones. Adaptations for a durophagous diet come in many forms in almost all major groups of life. This episode, we discuss how so many animals tackle tough foods, what behaviors and anatomy help them to do it, and the importance of durophagy for understanding fossils and the history of Earth ecosystems. In the n...

Boas and pythons include some of the most famous snake species on Earth, renowned for their incredible tropical diversity, their often beautiful scale patterns, and their often impressive size. This episode, we discuss what sets these two lineages apart from other snakes – and each other – and we explore the evolutionary path recorded in their fossil record. In the news: giant early tetrapods, dig...

Leaves. They’re everywhere. They’re the main photosynthesizing organs of plants, and they’re the main source of green on our green-and-blue planet. Leaves come in a truly dizzying variety of shapes, sizes, and specialized functions, and their early evolution laid the foundation for terrestrial ecosystems as we know them. This episode, Aly joins us yet again to talk about the anatomy and diversity...

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://link...

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...

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...

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...

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 – e...

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 i...

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 cont...

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: gian...

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 enjo...

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 co...