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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 Aug 24, 2019
Saturday Aug 24, 2019
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 & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:09:00
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
We're going to be at DragonCon 2019!
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 Aug 10, 2019
Saturday Aug 10, 2019
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 to everyone who spoke with us!
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 Aug 10, 2019
Saturday Aug 10, 2019
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, turtle bones, mammal ancestors, and a whale with a twist.
Don’t miss our Bonus Episode: Voices of La Brea, including interviews with a bunch of the crew!
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:09:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:00:00
Patron question: 01:33:30
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
We're going to be at DragonCon 2019!
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 Jul 27, 2019
Saturday Jul 27, 2019
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 discussion, Part 1: 00:34:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:05:00
Patron question: 01:56:00
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.
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 Jul 13, 2019
Saturday Jul 13, 2019
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 history.
In the news: tyrannosaur smells, peccary behavior, and a talk (by us) about our podcast!
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:33:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 00:59:30
Patron question: 01:37:30
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.
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 Jun 29, 2019
Saturday Jun 29, 2019
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 ancient species and ecosystems. Their work shows in the many images, animations, and sculptures that accompany research, museum displays, books, documentaries, and more. Paleoart is an inextricable piece of paleontology, and it’s all around us!
In the news: Arctic hyenas, dinosaur bone bacteria, a croc climate clock, and a big trilobite.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:31:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:08:00
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.
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 Jun 29, 2019
Saturday Jun 29, 2019
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 Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
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.
Saturday Jun 22, 2019
Saturday Jun 22, 2019
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 Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
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.
Saturday Jun 15, 2019
Saturday Jun 15, 2019
The history of animal life on Earth has been shaped by sex. The struggle to reproduce puts unique evolutionary pressures on species which affect their behavior and even their physical form. Sexual selection is immensely important but trying to sort out the side effects of sex in the fossil record is notoriously tricky.
In the news: giant beavers, croc metabolism, schooling fish, and another new croc.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:06:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:10:30
Patron question: 01:46:00
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
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 Jun 15, 2019
Saturday Jun 15, 2019
Part 3 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, we’re talking about kaiju in general, with special focus on Cloverfield (2008) and Pacific Rim (2013).
The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent
Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/
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.