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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

02:14:11

Episode 141 - Supercontinents

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/06/12

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

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01:17:18

Silver Screen Science – Prehistoric Planet

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/06/05

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:

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02:24:03

Episode 140 - Horns and Antlers

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/05/29

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,

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01:52:18

Episode 139 - Vultures

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/05/15

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

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02:05:25

Episode 138 - The Moon

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/05/01

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

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01:59:05

Episode 137 - Fossilization

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/04/17

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,

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02:15:50

Episode 136 - Seahorses

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/04/03

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

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01:29:47

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #2

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/03/28

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

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02:30:19

Episode 135 - Seeds

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/03/20

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

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01:47:44

The Art of Common Descent with Rob Soto

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/03/14

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:

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02:30:03

Episode 134 – Sanguivores (Blood-Eaters)

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/03/06

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,

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02:14:35

Episode 133 - Symbiosis

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/02/20

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

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02:17:36

Episode 132 - Mary and Louis Leakey

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/02/06

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

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02:55:32

Episode 131 - Volcanoes

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/01/23

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

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02:16:56

Episode 130 - Sense of Smell

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2022/01/09

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:

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04:04:45

End of the Year Q&A 2021

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2021/12/31

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

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02:22:29

Episode 129 - Rhinos

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2021/12/26

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

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02:11:04

Episode 128 - The Deep Sea

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2021/12/12

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

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33:25

Silver Screen Science – Prologue, Jurassic World:...

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2021/12/04

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 Find merch at

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01:48:55

Episode 127 - The Hell Creek Formation

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2021/11/28

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

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