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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
Wednesday Oct 02, 2024
Wednesday Oct 02, 2024
Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.
This episode, we’re joined by one of the longest-running paleo-podcast hosts around: Dave Marshall from Palaeocast!
Find Palaeocast here:
https://www.palaeocast.com/
Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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/
We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Saturday Sep 28, 2024
Saturday Sep 28, 2024
Our fungal celebration continues!
The relationship between fungi and plants is one of the most famous and consequential connections in biological history. This episode, Aly is here to help us explore how fungi and plants work together and work against each other, what we know about the deep history of their relationship, and how fungi and plants together have shaped the world as we know it.
Fungi will return…
In the news: toothy birds, polar forests, coelacanth evolution, and a Pennsylvanian lagerstatte.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:35
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:40
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:40:15
Patron question: 02:40:30
Follow Aly online at @PaleoLorax
And go check out Flora Funga Podcast at www.florafungapodcast.com and on social media at @florafungapodcast
Check out our website for this episode’s blog post 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 with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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 Sep 22, 2024
Sunday Sep 22, 2024
Mini-episodes are rewards for our high-level supporters on Patreon, each one focusing on a requested topic for a specific Patron. From time to time, we combine a bunch of these and release them as a bundle for all our listeners to enjoy. Enjoy!
A huge thanks as always to our Patrons for their kind contributions to our education efforts.
Intro: 00:00:00
T. rex for Sam – 00:02:02
Okapis for Sarah May – 00:30:00
Cicadas for Danielle – 00:48:43
Ants for Robert – 01:13:40
Polychaetes for Joshua – 01:39:01
Pangolins for KitKat – 02:04:28
Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and perhaps request your own mini-episode!
https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast
Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/
We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent
Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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 Sep 14, 2024
Saturday Sep 14, 2024
Here it is! The most requested episode topic in the history of the podcast!
Fungi are everywhere. This episode, we explore how fungi work, what makes them different from other organisms, and how they achieve a wide variety of lifestyles all over the world. We’ll also look back at their evolutionary history and fossil record to explore some of the most significant fungal moments of Earth’s past.
Fungi will return…
In the news: dinosaur teeth, pterosaur flight, bit bones, and ancient thylacines.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:08:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:15
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:38:30
Patron question: 02:29:35
Check out our website for this episode’s blog post 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 with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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
Wednesday Sep 04, 2024
Wednesday Sep 04, 2024
Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.
This episode, we chat with Gavin, Fia, and Mike, hosts of I Wish You Were Dead!
Find I Wish You Were Dead in these places:
https://open.spotify.com/show/4lMCmCwK9y9xThOMVUcHiM
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbKAuMrj_7PUI0GqU9QQnhg
https://www.facebook.com/IWishYouWereDeadPodcast
www.twitter.com/DeadPodcast_
Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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/
We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Saturday Aug 31, 2024
Saturday Aug 31, 2024
Sometimes, an animal just needs to power down and wait. Many animals exhibit some form of torpor, including the long-term dormancy of hibernation. This episode, we explore how these species adjust their body functions, we discuss the pros and cons of this surprisingly common biological strategy, and we’ll take a look at what we know about the evolutionary history and fossil record of hibernation.
In the news: walrus diets, ancient weapons, grape evolution, and fossil tardigrades.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:10:35
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:40
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:31:15
Patron question: 02:13:30
Check out our website for this episode’s blog post 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 with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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 Aug 17, 2024
Saturday Aug 17, 2024
Eels are long-bodied fish found in a variety of aquatic habitats, famous for their unusual body plans, distinctive life cycles, and occasional anatomical oddities like extra jaws. This episode, we’re joined by special guest Shay Maden to discuss the diversity, evolution, and fossil history of the true eels of the Order Anguilliformes, and we’ll also make mention of other famous “eels” and the repeated evolution of the eel-like body shape.
In the news: dog brains, giant beans, marine crocs, and opening oceans.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:50
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:17:30
Patron question: 01:44:55
Check out our website for this episode’s blog post 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 with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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
Wednesday Aug 07, 2024
Wednesday Aug 07, 2024
Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.
This episode, another returning guest: Meredith Johnson, host of Origin Stories, the Leakey Foundation podcast!
Find Origin Stories here:
https://leakeyfoundation.org/learn/originstories/
Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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/
We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent
The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Saturday Aug 03, 2024
Saturday Aug 03, 2024
Some animals are specialists at eating particularly tough foods like shells, seeds, and bones. Adaptations for a durophagous diet come in many forms in almost all major groups of life. This episode, we discuss how so many animals tackle tough foods, what behaviors and anatomy help them to do it, and the importance of durophagy for understanding fossils and the history of Earth ecosystems.
In the news: fossil boas, walking fish, cooked birds, and early arthropods.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:08:15
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:45:50
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:28:45
Patron question: 02:06:30
Check out our website for this episode’s blog post 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 with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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 Jul 20, 2024
Saturday Jul 20, 2024
Boas and pythons include some of the most famous snake species on Earth, renowned for their incredible tropical diversity, their often beautiful scale patterns, and their often impressive size. This episode, we discuss what sets these two lineages apart from other snakes – and each other – and we explore the evolutionary path recorded in their fossil record.
In the news: giant early tetrapods, digging dinosaurs, coastal croc-cousins, and striking snakes.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:08:15
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:40
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:30:10
Patron question: 02:16:10
Check out our website for this episode’s blog post 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 with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent
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