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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
Saturday Dec 28, 2019
Episode 77 - Fins to Feet: The Fish-Tetrapod Transition
Saturday Dec 28, 2019
Saturday Dec 28, 2019
Happy New Year!
As we transition into a new decade, this episode is about one of the most important and incredible transitions in the evolutionary history of life. In the Late Devonian, one particular group of bony fish spent many millions of years experimenting with new forms of fins, skulls, and lifestyles, ultimately giving rise to the first land-dwelling vertebrates and setting the stage for 300 million years of continental dominance.
In the news: the earliest penguins, ancient whale swimming, dinosaur lice, and really old brains.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:30:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 00:59:00
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/
Saturday Dec 14, 2019
Episode 76 - Horse Evolution
Saturday Dec 14, 2019
Saturday Dec 14, 2019
The evolution of horses is a classic story, first because it is a beautiful example of evolution in the fossil record, and second because of how our scientific perspective of this story has shifted over the years. From the tiny forest-dwellers of the Eocene, barely recognizable as horse-relatives, to the mighty domesticated animals we know today, we’ll unpack what we know – and what we thought we knew – about horse evolution.
In the news: dinosaur teeth, alligator tools, ancient embryos, and dinosaur heads.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:15:00
Patron question: 01:47:30
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
We made an appearance on The Science of Pokémon to talk about - what else? - fossil Pokémon! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-of-galar/id1287752766?i=1000459595554
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 Dec 08, 2019
...But We Digress - Pokemon Paleontology
Sunday Dec 08, 2019
Sunday Dec 08, 2019
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 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 Nov 30, 2019
Episode 75 - The Great Oxidation Event
Saturday Nov 30, 2019
Saturday Nov 30, 2019
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: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:09:30
Patron Question: 01:33:00
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
We're doing another End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here:
https://forms.gle/E398RmMhGvaYHpz6A
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 Nov 16, 2019
Episode 74 - South America
Saturday Nov 16, 2019
Saturday Nov 16, 2019
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 markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:28:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 00:59:30
Patron question: 01:35:00
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
We're doing another End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here:
https://forms.gle/E398RmMhGvaYHpz6A
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 Nov 02, 2019
Episode 73 - Trees
Saturday Nov 02, 2019
Saturday Nov 02, 2019
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 conditioning, trilobite lines, moth hearing, and 1,000 plant trascriptomes.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:33:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:10:30
Patron question: 01:47:30
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
We're doing another End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here:
https://forms.gle/E398RmMhGvaYHpz6A
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 Oct 26, 2019
Spook-E - Chimeras
Saturday Oct 26, 2019
Saturday Oct 26, 2019
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? Our creatures to evolve this time: Chimeras.
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.
Muscial 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 Oct 19, 2019
Episode 72 - Plesiosaurs
Saturday Oct 19, 2019
Saturday Oct 19, 2019
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, and mold pigs!
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:34:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:03:00
Patron question: 01:35:30
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/
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 Oct 19, 2019
Spook-E - Hydras
Saturday Oct 19, 2019
Saturday Oct 19, 2019
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 evolve this time: Hydras.
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.
Muscial 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 Oct 12, 2019
Spook-E - Gorgons
Saturday Oct 12, 2019
Saturday Oct 12, 2019
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 create this time: Gorgons.
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.
Muscial Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/