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PODCAST

The Common Descent Podcast

Join David and Will as they explore the paleontologists’ perspective on various topics in life and earth history. Each episode features a main discussion on a topic requested by the listeners, presented as a lighthearted and educational conversation about fossils, evolution, deep time, and more. Before the main discussion, each episode also includes a news segment, covering recent research related to paleontology and evolution. Each episode ends with the answer to a question submitted by

science natural sciences

All Episodes

02:06:55

Episode 169 - Sea Snakes

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/07/09

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,

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02:05:46

Episode 168 – Marine Crocs

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/06/25

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

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01:08:25

Croc Chat with Will

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/06/17

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:

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02:28:37

Episode 167 – Geologic Dating

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/06/11

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

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02:07:33

Episode 166 - Monotremes

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/05/28

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

en

02:22:21

Episode 165 - Fruit

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/05/14

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

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01:48:31

Episode 164 - The ”Boring Billion”

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/04/30

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

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01:59:05

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #3

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/04/25

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

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01:54:44

Episode 163 - Claws

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/04/16

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

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02:12:43

Episode 162 – Caecilians

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/04/02

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

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02:23:25

Episode 161 - Sleep

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/03/18

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

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01:58:13

Episode 160 - The Messel Pit

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/03/05

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,

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02:10:28

Episode 159 - Giraffes

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/02/19

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

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01:53:36

Episode 158 – Charles R. Knight

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/02/05

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

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02:17:50

Episode 157 - Bioluminescence and Biofluorescence

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/01/22

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

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01:57:45

Episode 156 - Eurypterids (Sea Scorpions)

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2023/01/08

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,

en

04:13:19

End of the Year Q&A 2022

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/12/31

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

en

02:43:34

Episode 155 - Gymnosperms

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/12/25

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

en

01:54:54

Episode 154 - Live Birth

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/12/11

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

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01:48:35

Episode 153 - Armadillos

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/11/27

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

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