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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

01:01:29

...But We Digress - Pokemon Paleontology

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/12/08

Welcome to the world of Pokémon Paleontology! In this digression – by popular demand – we explore how the fictional world of Pokémon draws inspiration from real world science, particularly in regard to fossils and evolution. We’ll name our favorite fossil Pokémon, discuss Pokémon evolution, and point out where the Poké-science gets wonky. What’s your favorite bit of Pokémon science? We're doing another End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here: https://forms.gle/E398RmMhGvaYHpz6A The Common

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01:39:47

Episode 75 - The Great Oxidation Event

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/12/01

Time for another extinction! This time, we’re discussing what might be the most ancient, most mysterious, and most catastrophic mass extinction event of all time. The Great Oxidation Event marks the turning point that set our atmosphere on course to its current oxygen-rich state and made the Earth hospitable for life as we know it … at the expense of all the life that came before. In the news: the largest ape, early pollinators, early birds, and early snakes. Time markers: Intro & Announcements:

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01:42:49

Episode 74 - South America

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/11/17

South America today is home to some of the most incredible ecosystems on the planet, and its fossil record is even more varied and fantastic. In this episode, we explore the history of the continent from its early formation to its long Cenozoic isolation, and we’ll highlight some of the strangest ancient creatures – especially its bizarre mammals – that have called South America home. In the news: ancient ape locomotion, a Polish pliosaur, post-extinction Colorado, and one really old dinosaur. Time

en

01:56:27

Episode 73 - Trees

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/11/03

Aly's back for more plants! As our friend Aly is fond of pointing out, plants aren't just the colorful background of Earth history, they're dynamic and influential drivers of environmental change. And few plant innovations are more famous or important than the familiar form of a tree. For hundreds of millions of years, trees have formed the basis of many of our planet's most widespread and diverse ecosystems. In this episode, Aly takes us on a tour of tree history! In the news: more dinosaur air

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50:17

Spook-E - Chimeras

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/10/26

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. It’s October, and we’re back with more Spook-E! Each week this month, we’re choosing a creepy creature and discussing how it – or something like – might evolve biologically, pulling inspiration from critters of the real world. This month’s theme: monsters of Greek mythology. In this final episode of this season, we take on the task of evolving the most famous of mythical hybrids. Can our evolutionary processes combine the traits of reptiles, mammals, and more

en

01:42:30

Episode 72 - Plesiosaurs

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/10/20

The oceans of the Mesozoic were home to a lot of fascinating sea predators, but perhaps none weirder than the plesiosaurs. Four giant flippers, tiny tails, and heads that ranged from enormous death traps to tiny noggins atop ridiculously long necks; there’s truly nothing like them in the world today, which makes them quite the prehistoric puzzle. In this episode, we’ll discuss what we know about them and what questions remain unanswered. In the news: sauropod beaks, croc snouts, the last mammoths,

en

50:07

Spook-E - Hydras

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/10/19

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. It’s October, and we’re back with more Spook-E! Each week this month, we’re choosing a creepy creature and discussing how it – or something like – might evolve biologically, pulling inspiration from critters of the real world. This month’s theme: monsters of Greek mythology. This episode, we tackle the great monster of Lerna. How can we use nature's toolkit to evolve a poisonous lake-dwelling beast whose multiple heads constantly grow back? Our creatures to

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53:07

Spook-E - Gorgons

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/10/12

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. It’s October, and we’re back with more Spook-E! Each week this month, we’re choosing a creepy creature and discussing how it – or something like – might evolve biologically, pulling inspiration from critters of the real world. This month’s theme: monsters of Greek mythology. This episode, we're talking about Medusa and her kin. How could natural selection produce a serpentine humanoid with snakes for hair and a gaze that turns people to stone? Our creatures to

en

01:43:03

Episode 71 - The Western Interior Seaway

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/10/06

During the Cretaceous Period, North America flooded. The entire middle section of the continent was submerged, creating an inland sea that stretched from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico and hosted a unique and fascinating underwater ecosystem. Not only that, but it split west from east, creating two distinct "subcontinents." In this episode, we explore how this sea came to be, what lived within it, and what effect it had on land ecosystems of the time and the fossil record they left behind. In the

en

40:33

Spook-E - Harpies

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/10/05

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. It’s October, and we’re back with more Spook-E! Each week this month, we’re choosing a creepy creature and discussing how it – or something like – might evolve biologically, pulling inspiration from critters of the real world. This month’s theme: monsters of Greek mythology. This episode, we turn to the multitude of stories about winged bird-like humanoids. How do you evolve something with wings and claws, a human face, and a penchant for thievery? Our

en

01:43:46

Episode 70 - Convergent Evolution

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/09/22

With all the incredible diversity of life, it’s fascinating how often evolution repeats itself. The fossil record and the modern world are full of signs of this pattern of convergent evolution – similar pressures drive organisms to similar features and lifestyles. In this episode, we’ll talk about what exactly convergent evolution entails, share some of our favorite examples, and talk about how things can get a bit confusing. Did we mention your favorite example of convergent evolution? In the news:

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01:48:40

Episode 69 - Ankylosaurs

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/09/08

It’s dinosaur time again! This episode, the spotlight is on the “living tanks” of the Mesozoic, the armored ankylosaurs. These impressive creatures were covered head to tail in dazzling armor that puts most other fortified animals to shame. We’ll discuss what exactly they may have been doing with that armor and how they fit into dinosaur-filled ecosystems. Oh, and we’ll talk about those tail clubs, too. In the news: shark-bitten whales, an early hominin skull, “killer” claws, and pterosaur

en

01:38:08

Episode 68 - Evolution of Eyes

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/08/25

If you’re reading this, there’s a very good chance you’re using one of the most incredible tools in the animal toolkit: the eye! In this episode, we discuss what’s known – and what’s suspected – about the incredible evolutionary history of the eye. How many types of eyes are there? What is an eye, anyway? Just how difficult is it to evolve something so intricate and complex? All this and more! In the news: a giant parrot, a giant penguin, ancient RNA, and crinoid rafts. Time markers: Intro &

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01:08:40

Voices of La Brea - Bonus Episode

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/08/11

We were in southern California for NAPC recently, so we sat down with a bunch of the crew from La Brea to get some insights into their work, their history, and their favorite things about the site. In this audio, you’ll hear from: Dr. Emily Lindsey, Assistant Curator and Excavation Site Director Dr. Mairin Balisi, NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow Laura Tewksbury-Wall, Senior Preparator Sean Campbell, Preparator Connie Clarke, Preparator Students from the La Brea Tar Pits Field School Thanks

en

01:39:23

Episode 67 - The La Brea Tar Pits

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/08/11

How odd that one of the world’s richest and most famous fossil sites isn’t on a mountain or in a desert, but in the heart of one of the world’s largest cities. In this episode, we’ll dive into the history of the La Brea Tar Pits, explore how the site came to be, and give just a taste of the staggering diversity of fossil finds that fuel research into the latest chapters of the Ice Age. Also, we’ll explain why “tar pits” isn’t really a great name for them. In the news: a Cambrian Millennium Falcon,

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02:05:03

Episode 66 - Elephants

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/07/28

This episode, we take a deep dive into the evolutionary story of Earth’s largest land mammals. Extinction has left us with only three elephant species today, but for tens of millions of years their extended family, the proboscideans, came in many weird and wondrous forms, from mammoths to mastodons to shovel-tuskers and more. In the news: clam secrets, weird bird feet, surprise Greek humans, and early hominin breastfeeding. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main

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01:45:32

Episode 65 - The Late Devonian Extinction(s)

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/07/14

It’s Episode 65, and you know what that means … extinction! This time, we address the ancient and confusing Late Devonian extinction. This is traditionally considered one of the “Big 5,” but it doesn’t seem to be “one” extinction at all. Geologists and paleontologists continue to work at piecing together the various causes and consequences that create an extended series – several millions years long – of very unfortunate events that altogether comprise one of the worst biological crises in Earth

en

01:40:52

Episode 64 - Paleoart

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/06/30

Featuring paleoartist and herpetologist Gabriel Ugueto! Follow Gabriel on Twitter (@SerpenIllus) or at his website, gabrielugueto.com, and listen to his herpetology podcast: squamatespod.com Can you picture paleontology without … pictures? For about as long as people have been digging up fossils, some have tried to recreate ancient organisms through art. Paleoartists combine artistic talents with detailed knowledge of life past and present to create their best hypotheses about the appearance of

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57:08

Silver Screen Science – Godzilla (2014) and Godzilla:...

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/06/29

Part 5 of 5 in this month’s series: KaiJune! There’s a new Godzilla movie, and that means it’s time for more movie science! All June, we’ll be exploring giant monster movies, specifically looking at two of the most famous examples of all time: King Kong and Godzilla. How do these movies handle such subjects as prehistoric creatures, the science of paleontology, and the portrayal of scientists? This episode, the latest installments: Godzilla (2014) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) The Common

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01:05:26

Silver Screen Science – King Kong (2005) and Kong:...

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2019/06/22

Part 4 of 5 in this month’s series: KaiJune! There’s a new Godzilla movie, and that means it’s time for more movie science! All June, we’ll be exploring giant monster movies, specifically looking at two of the most famous examples of all time: King Kong and Godzilla. How do these movies handle such subjects as prehistoric creatures, the science of paleontology, and the portrayal of scientists? This episode, Kong in the 21st century: King Kong (2005) and Kong: Skull Island (2017) The Common Descent

en

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