This episode marks the end of our extinction series, but on the bright side, Aly’s here! Most of the extinction events we discuss are very animal-focused, but the end of the Carboniferous Period featured one of history’s worst plant extinctions. This event wiped out the famous ecosystems of the Carboniferous, reshuffled ecosystems, and ushered in a more familiar world of plants. In this episode, as usual, we discuss what happened, why, and how it impacted the world. In the news: a croc-bitten sl...
Sep 06, 2020•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 141
Dogs are among the most diverse and successful mammalian predators on the planet, from widespread wild predators like wolves to the most iconic domestic species of all time in our own homes. This episode, we look at what makes dogs unique, where they got their start, what their fossil history has looked like, and finally how one species ended up being among the most widespread species on Earth. In the news: hell ants, weird reptiles, dinosaur cancer, and “super-crocs” Time markers: Intro & A...
Aug 23, 2020•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 140
Cats are among the most diverse and successful mammalian predators on the planet, from lions on the savanna to ocelots in the jungle to domestic cats in homes and homepages worldwide. This episode, we look at what makes cats unique, where they got their start, what their fossil history has looked like, and finally how one species ended up being among the most widespread species on Earth. In the news: African and American crocs, ancient owls, Fiji pigeons, and prey-breaking snakes. Time markers: ...
Aug 09, 2020•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 139
Everybody starts somewhere, and most animals start inside an egg! Eggs are about as old and as varied as animal life itself, and when they show up in the fossil record, they can be very telling. In this episode we discuss what goes inside an egg, what makes them so special and useful, and what we can learn from their patchy fossil record. In the news: early archosaurs, more on Dilophosaurus, Microraptor feathers, and a large dolphin. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:...
Jul 26, 2020•2 hr 7 min•Ep. 138
Roughly nine out of ten living amphibian species are frogs. They’re incredibly diverse and successful, and they have been since the Jurassic Period. But the origins of frogs and their fellow modern amphibians is shrouded in mystery. In this episode, we discuss what makes frogs special, what their fossil record looks like, and what paleontologists know and don’t know about the earliest evolution of modern amphibians. In the news: colorful insects, salamander evolution, saber-toothed marsupials, a...
Jul 12, 2020•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 137
"Living fossils" aren't really a thing, not the way they're typically talked about anyway, and the term can be a source of debate among scientists and science communicators. In this episode, we talk about how this term is used and why some scientists defend it while others (including us!) aren't fans. In the news: horned gophers, dinosaur eggs, giant eggs, and croc tracks. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:30 Main discussion, Part 2: ...
Jun 27, 2020•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 136
In the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia sits one of the most important, well-studied, and scientifically influential fossil sites in the world. The Burgess Shale not only provides us a glimpse into the tail end of the Cambrian Explosion, and not only yields tens of thousands of fossil specimens, but also includes some of the most exceptional fossil preservation of any fossil locality anywhere. This episode, we’ll dive into how it got that way, and what it has to tell us about some of Earth's...
Jun 14, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 135
In this series, we invite scientists to live Q&As on YouTube, where we discuss topics we’ve covered before on the podcast. This episode, we discussed Conservation Paleontology (Episode 8) with Dr. Rachel Short and Dr. Jeff Martin of Texas A&M University. You can find the video recording on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfdiT8Klm_YO04cvDqZ-_O3Iiq0J5GZJz Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ New merch at the...
Jun 05, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 134
In this series, we invite scientists to live Q&As on YouTube, where we discuss topics we’ve covered before on the podcast. This episode, we discussed Paleopathology (Episode 84) with Laura Emmert of the Gray Fossil Site. You can also watch the video recording of this Live Chat on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfdiT8Klm_YO04cvDqZ-_O3Iiq0J5GZJz Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ New merch at the Common Descen...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 133
Start exploring vertebrate evolution and paleontology, and it won’t be long before you end up on the subject of teeth. These handy structures are enormously significant not only for the history of life, but in the study of it as well. In this episode we discuss what makes a tooth a tooth, how teeth came to be, and we muse at length over the incredible diversity and scientific usefulness of teeth. In the news: dinosaur walking, gharial males and females, hurricane-induced evolution, and humans in...
May 31, 2020•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 132
In this series, we invite scientists to live Q&As on YouTube, where we discuss topics we’ve covered before on the podcast. This episode, we discussed Turtles with Dr. Steven Jasinski of the State Museum of Pennsylvania. You can find Steven on Twitter at @StevenJasinski. You can also watch the video recording of this Live Chat on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfdiT8Klm_YO04cvDqZ-_O3Iiq0J5GZJz Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpod...
May 20, 2020•59 min•Ep. 131
From massive Triceratops to tiny Psittacosaurus , few dinosaurs are as famous, charismatic, or commonly preserved as ceratopsians. In this episode, we’ll follow this group’s evolutionary journey from little bipeds to horned behemoths and discuss some of the biggest scientific questions about their history, their identification, and of course their magnificently adorned noggins. In the news: the Tully monster, very strange mammals, dinosaur hunting habits, and the tail of Spinosaurus . Please par...
May 17, 2020•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 130
In this series, we invite scientists to live Q&As on YouTube, where we discuss topics we’ve covered before on the podcast. This episode, we discussed Ancient DNA with Dr. Leigha Lynch of Washington University. You can find Leigha on Twitter at @PantheraLeigha. You can also watch the video recording of this Live Chat on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfdiT8Klm_YO04cvDqZ-_O3Iiq0J5GZJz Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordp...
May 12, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 129
In the South Pacific Ocean, there is a family of islands that have been isolated since the Cretaceous Period. New Zealand – past and present – has been home to some of the most unique and fascinating ecosystems on the planet, from its reptiles to its birds to its plants. This episode, we visit New Zealand and take a trip through the fossil and geology history that made it the wonderful place it is today. In the news: lizard birth, Cretaceous shark extinction, traveling monkeys, and marine croc e...
May 03, 2020•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 128
We’ve discussed mass extinctions quite a bit on this podcast, and indeed we’ve devoted episode to four out of the famous “Big Five” that shaped life on Earth. This episode, we’re completing the set with the Ordovician mass extinction, the earliest of the five. As usual, we’ll explore what happened, who it happened to, why it happened, and how it left its mark on life on Earth. In the news: ocean crocs, early archosaurs, ancient humans, and post-extinction lakes. Time markers: Intro & Announc...
Apr 19, 2020•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 127
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, we share some thoughts from our long and animal-filled journey through the James Bond films. The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https:...
Apr 16, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 126
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, we revisit the King of Monsters: Godzilla (1998) The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitt...
Apr 08, 2020•53 min•Ep. 125
Life ain’t always easy. Injury and disease are a persistent threat for life of all sorts, and that’s been true for as long as there has been life. Fortunately for us, these threats can leave evidence in fossils, teaching us about the lives, struggles, and sometimes deaths of ancient organisms. The study of this evidence is called paleopathology, and in this episode, our friend Laura will explain the ins and outs of the field and share with us some of her favorite examples. In the news: ancient h...
Apr 05, 2020•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 124
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, ca-caw ca-caw tookie tookie: Evolution (2001) 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:...
Apr 01, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 123
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 f...
Mar 29, 2020•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 122
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_descen...
Mar 25, 2020•50 min•Ep. 121
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...
Mar 22, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 120
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 th...
Mar 08, 2020•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 119
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 mar...
Feb 23, 2020•1 hr 48 min•Season 1Ep. 118
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 evolu...
Feb 09, 2020•1 hr 41 min•Season 1Ep. 117
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...
Jan 26, 2020•2 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 116
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...
Jan 19, 2020•2 hr 7 min•Ep. 115
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 ancien...
Jan 12, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Season 1Ep. 114
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://...
Jan 01, 2020•3 hr 26 min•Ep. 113
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 swimmin...
Dec 29, 2019•1 hr 38 min•Season 1Ep. 112
