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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

139:30

Episode 241 - Digestion

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/04/12

The world is full of food, but in order to make the most of it, living organisms need to be able to break it down and extract the useful nutrients. This episode, we explore the fundamental process of digestion and the many, many ways that life has adapted this process to various diets. And we’ll take a look at what the fossil record has to tell us about ancient diets and the evolutionary history of digestive systems.In the news: predator bites, coelacanth lungs, Cambrian claws, and squid

en

75:41

Silver Screen Science - The Lost World (1925)

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/04/09

Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore science on the big screen and beyond. This year, we’re taking a tour through cinematic history with Old School Dinosaurs! This episode, we start things off with the great grand-daddy of dinosaur movies: The Lost World (1925). 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 Lots more ways to connect with

en

162:26

Episode 240 - Terror Birds

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/03/29

For most of the Cenozoic Era, South America was home to an incredible group of predatory birds called phorusrhacids, which included some of the largest carnivorous birds of all time. With their giant axe-like beaks and powerful clawed legs, these giants have gained the nickname “terror birds.” This episode, we explore what makes these birds unique, how they varied across their diversity, and what exactly they were doing with all those terrifying tools.In the news: a bitten plesiosaur, wildflower

en

134:13

Episode 239 - Nocturnality

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/03/15

Creatures of the night! The world is a different place in the dark, and a whole array of organisms have adapted to being most active outside of daytime hours. This episode, we’ll explore the regular traits that allow nocturnal animals to get by, we’ll discuss some of the ways nocturnal evolution has shaped living species, and we’ll investigate which – if any – of these traits we can identify in the fossil record.In the news: snake hormones, Australian amphibians, ancient microbes, and baby

en

67:11

Pok-É – Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/03/07

Welcome ... to Pok-É!This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and speculating upon how they – or something like them – might evolve in real life, pulling inspiration from species throughout our planet’s history! This episode, we take on the super-ancient Pokémon of Hoenn. How could natural selection result in masters of the sea, land, and sky embroiled in an endless feud? Our creatures to create this time: Kyogre, Groudon,

en

143:33

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #7

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/03/03

One of the benefits our Patrons can receive is a personalized mini-episode on an animal of their choice! Every now and then, we throw them together into a compilation for all to enjoy! As always, an enormous thanks to all of our wonderful Patrons! Time markers: Basal Ornithopods for Aaron: 00:02:00 Orangutans for Justin: 00:22:30 Tardigrades for Jeff: 00:54:25 Trilobites for Timpaxew: 01:16:55 Rauisuchians for Ryan: 01:36:45 Ravens for Bogdraw: 01:56:15 Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and

en

156:07

Episode 238 - Osteoderms (Skin Bones)

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/03/01

Some bones are only skin deep! In many species of reptiles, mammals, and amphibians, bones called osteoderms develop within the skin, serving as body armor, additional muscular support, display features, or any number of other functions. This episode, we explore the extraordinary diversity of osteoderm anatomy, we take a tour through the many and varied osteoderms of Earth history, and we investigate a long list of hypothesized functions for these unusual bones.In the news: reptile skin, dinosaur

en

65:58

Pok-É – Koraidon and Miraidon

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/02/28

Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and speculating upon how they – or something like them – might evolve in real life, pulling inspiration from species throughout our planet’s history! This episode, we take a tour of the Paradox Pokémon. Where on the tree of life could we find a pair of dragons built for battle and all-terrain travel? Our creatures to create this time: Koraidon and Miraidon. Join

en

62:39

Pok-É – Zygarde

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/02/21

Welcome ... to Pok-É!This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and speculating upon how they – or something like them – might evolve in real life, pulling inspiration from species throughout our planet’s history! This episode, we grapple with the Order Pokémon. What biological explanations can we find for an ecological guardian of many, many faces? Our creature to create this time: Zygarde. Join the Common Descent Discord

en

188:22

Episode 237 - The Dinosaur Renaissance

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/02/15

In the mid-to-late 20th Century, dinosaurs received a major makeover in their scientific and popular image. This episode, Riley Black takes us through the timeline of the Dinosaur Renaissance. We discuss some of the big scientific milestones and the various players which brought dinosaurs into their modern era, and we’ll explore the early signs and lingering notes of this historic shift.In the news: sleepy jellyfish, fast mammals, bird beaks, and dinosaur diets. Find Riley in these

en

51:05

Pok-É – Giratina

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/02/14

Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and speculating upon how they – or something like them – might evolve in real life, pulling inspiration from species throughout our planet’s history! This episode, we confront the Renegade Pokémon. From what ancestors might we get a many-limbed monster from a parallel world? Our creature to create this time: Giratina. Join the Common Descent Discord server for

en

58:05

Pok-É – Lugia

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/02/07

Welcome ... to Pok-É!This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and speculating upon how they – or something like them – might evolve in real life, pulling inspiration from species throughout our planet’s history! This episode, we set our sights on the Diving Pokémon. How might evolution produce a sea-dwelling bird with a knack for stirring up storms? Our creature to create this time: Lugia. Join the Common Descent Discord

en

121:33

Episode 236 - Chalicotheres

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/02/01

The Cenozoic Era was home to many unusual ancient mammals, but few so strange as the “gorilla-horses,” the ungulates that swapped their hooves for claws, chalicotheres. This episode, we discuss the features that make these animals distinct and which confused paleontologists for decades, and we go over what is known – and still unknown – about their evolution and lifestyles.In the news: Let’s Botanize, Prototaxites identity, and giant kangaroos. Find Let’s Botanize here:

en

157:40

Episode 235 - Aquatic Plants

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/01/18

All plants need water, but some take it to the extreme. This episode, Dr. Aly Baumgartner joins us to explore the many life strategies of plants that live in the water. We’ll discuss the adaptations that allow them to lead an aquatic lifestyle, their evolutionary history as seen through genes and fossils, and the benefits that keep leading plants back to water.In the news: fish diversity, ammonite survivors, gut microbes, and hiding dinosaurs. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News:

en

144:00

Episode 234 - Snails and Slugs

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2026/01/04

From deep-sea trenches to your home garden, gastropods (snails and slugs) are among the most diverse and successful groups of animal life in Earth history. This episode, we’ll explore what makes these animals distinctive, we’ll touch on their extraordinary fossil record, and we’ll investigate the many evolutionary experiments gastropods have undergone in their anatomy and lifestyle.In the news: squishable ants, false saber-tooths, bee burrows, and baby ankylosaurs Time markers: Intro &

en

351:42

End of the Year Q&A 2025

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2025/12/31

Happy New Year! Please enjoy our annual question-answering marathon, now longer than ever! Thank you so much to everyone who listens, shares, and supports the podcast. Check out our website 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/ Lots more ways to connect

en

161:39

Episode 233 - Flies and Mosquitoes

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2025/12/21

Of all the highly successful and capable flying insects in the world, few are as successful or capable as those in the order Diptera. This episode, we’re joined by special guest Brandon Strauss to discuss the distinctive anatomy and varied habits of flies, mosquitoes, and their many two-winged relatives. Then, we’ll peer into the past for a glimpse at the fossil record and dynamic evolutionary history of the group.In the news: long-nosed crocs, river mosasaurs, stampeding sea turtles, and giant

en

136:20

Episode 232 - Vertebrate Origins

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2025/12/07

Today, bony animals are some of the most diverse organisms on Earth, but it wasn’t always that way. This episode, we explore what features distinguish vertebrates from their closest relatives, and we dive into the abundant evidence from genetics, embryology, and the fossil record that gives us a glimpse at how our distant ancestors came to be.In the news: swimming hands, early life, Dunkleosteus jaws, and Neanderthal noses Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:35 Main

en

163:14

Episode 231 - Back to the Water (Secondarily Aquatic...

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2025/11/23

Nearly 400 million years ago, an unusual group of fish gave rise to the first land-dwelling vertebrates. Since then, their descendants have repeatedly moved back into the water. This episode, we explore the many ways these species adapt to the challenges of turning a terrestrial body into one that can survive at sea, and we investigate some of the most famous and confusing cases from the fossil record.In the news: post-extinction oceans, croc eggs, damaged dino tails, and meat-eating dung

en

136:08

Episode 230 - Pachycephalosaurs

The Common Descent Podcast ·

2025/11/09

The dome-headed dinosaurs are some of the most iconic ancient reptiles, but they’re surprisingly unexplored compared to other dinos. This episode, we explore what makes these dinosaurs unique, what limits our understanding of them, and the many confounding mysteries that paleontologists have been scratching their heads over, including the question of what exactly they were doing with those thick heads.In the news: the I Know Dino children’s book, giant reptile locomotion, and dinosaur hooves. Time

en

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