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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 subscribers on Patreon. New episodes with new topics every fortnight!
Episodes
Sunday Mar 29, 2020
Sunday Mar 29, 2020
One of the rewards we offer to our highest-level Patrons is a special mini-episode on an animal or group of their choosing. We’ve done five so far, and we’ve put them together into this compilation so you can all now enjoy them!
Special thanks to our Patrons for their generous contributions, and thanks also to our special guests, Keila and the cat.
00:04:15 Desmatosuchus for Julie
00:26:00 Stygimoloch for Danielle
00:45:15 Cryptobranchids for Michael
01:00:00 Parrots for Beth
01:21:00 Graboids for Barbara
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
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Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
There’s a pandemic on, and we and many of our listeners are spending lots of time at home. On the bright side, it’s a good opportunity to watch movies and record Silver Screen Science! So, we’re putting together some new episodes, to keep you – and ourselves – entertained.
This episode, happy 30-year anniversary to: Tremors (1990)
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
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Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Saturday Mar 21, 2020
Saturday Mar 21, 2020
In 1938, a fishing crew pulled up a fish that everyone thought had been extinct for 70 million years. Since then, coelacanths have become famous not just for their strangely incomplete fossil record, but also for their unique anatomy, their reclusive lifestyle, and their close relationship to land vertebrates. From fossils to genetics, this episode is all about what we know – and what we’re missing – of the story of coelacanths.
In the news: an old weasel, fish through time, daily bivalve growth, and cave cockroaches.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:34:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:03:00
Patron question: 01:36:00
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Saturday Mar 07, 2020
Saturday Mar 07, 2020
Few fossil animals are as popular with the public, as abundant in the fossil record, or as important to the study of past life on Earth as trilobites. These ocean-dwelling arthropods came in an amazing variety of shapes, sizes, and lifestyles, with many thousands of identified species, and they persisted on our planet for more than 270 million years. And best of all, they left behind an incredible fossil record giving us insights into their evolution, life history, and ultimate extinction.
In the news: evolution of gliders, a weird worm, tiny marsupial lions, and dino DNA?
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:10:30
Patron question: 01:51:30
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Saturday Feb 22, 2020
Saturday Feb 22, 2020
Metamorphosis is the process that turns a caterpillar to a butterfly, a fry to a fish, and a tadpole to a frog. Animals have been metamorphosing for over 500 million years, from early crustaceans to the many fish, amphibians, and arthropods that do it today. Larvae, pupae, and adults are known in the fossil record, but the evolutionary history of this incredible life strategy is still mysterious.
In the news: a new tyrannosaur, early chameleons, giant turtles, and dinosaur temperatures.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:33:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:08:30
Patron question: 01:43:30
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Saturday Feb 08, 2020
Saturday Feb 08, 2020
Happy Darwin Day!
This time around, we’re talking about Mary Anning! She was one of the earliest modern paleontologists, she helped lay the groundwork for our modern methods of uncovering and understanding fossils, and she was famously underappreciated in her time. We’re joined in our discussion by our friend Brittney Stoneburg from the Western Science Center!
Follow Brittney on Twitter and Instagram: @brittandbone
And follow our friends at the Western Science Center!
In the news: elephant evolution, pterosaur feeding, Jurassic “firewalkers”, and ancient fungi.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:13:30
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast
Instagram: @commondescentpodcast
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Saturday Jan 25, 2020
Saturday Jan 25, 2020
The first pterosaur to be scientifically identified was Pterodactylus, more than 200 years ago. Since then, scientists have grappled with understanding these bizarre and fantastic animals, aided by inspired science and incredible discoveries. In this episode, we’ll discuss what we know – and what we don’t know – about how these animals evolved, survived, and ruled the skies in the Age of Reptiles.
In the news: cassowary evolution, the oldest scorpions, sea floor taphonomy, and Neanderthal shells.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:08:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:22:00
Patron question: 02:10:00
We’ve donated our December 2019 Patreon earnings to WIRES to help with wildlife recovery in Australia. Learn more here: https://www.wires.org.au/
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sunday Jan 19, 2020
Sunday Jan 19, 2020
At DragonCon 2019, Will and David were part of the Paleontology Hour Panel, where a room full of nerds asked all their paleo-related questions to a panel of experts - and we recorded it!
We were joined on the panel by:
Trevor Valle @tattoosandbones
Charon Henning @TheOddAngel
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Saturday Jan 11, 2020
Saturday Jan 11, 2020
Hand a kitchen appliance to a child and they’re likely to find a whole new way to use it. This happens in evolution, too – traits adapted for one purpose turn out to be beneficial for a whole other reason, and so the trajectory of natural selection changes. The term for this is exaptation, but it’s a complicated concept, and not everyone even likes using the word. Let’s discuss what this word means, why it exists, and what some people find wrong with it.
In the news: the oldest forest, an ancient parent, young T. rex, and fossil lungfish.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:00:00
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Tuesday Dec 31, 2019
Tuesday Dec 31, 2019
Happy New Year!
We got a ton of questions this year, so enjoy the end of the decade with this extra-long edition of David and Will saying the things you want to hear!
See you in the ‘20s!
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Follow and Support us on:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/
PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/