Episode 72: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) tells the story of Hushpuppy, a young girl living with her daddy in the Louisiana bayou, adapting to a changing world: her father is dying, the climate is warming, and prehistoric beasts are returning from the ice to haunt her. Aurochs, the titular beasts, were real Pleistocene animals – although the movie takes some artistic liberties. It’s a wonderful movie with many layers, but the only one we’re really qualified to dissect is the evolution of cows.

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In this episode:

Aurochs, the extinct wild ox: https://www.britannica.com/animal/aurochs

Aurochs behind the scenes in Beasts of the Southern Wild: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUE0VXyLi7w

Get Ross’ book! The Missing Lynx: The Past and Future of Britain’s Lost Mammals: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/missing-lynx-9781472957351/

When the Nazis tried to bring back animals from extinction: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-nazis-tried-bring-animals-back-extinction-180962739/

Cows Gone Wild: The Cattle of Heck: Cows Gone Wild: The Cattle of Heck: https://daily.jstor.org/cows-gone-wild-the-cattle-of-heck/

The Lascaux Shaft Scene: https://alistaircoombs.com/2018/08/24/the-lascaux-shaft-scene/

Cows kill more people than sharks or crocodiles: https://www.businessinsider.com/deadliest-animals-us-dont-include-sharks-crocodiles-dogs-cows-2019-8

Elysian Fields: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-were-the-elysian-fields-in-greek-mythology-116736