The Common Descent Podcast

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monsters of Dungeons and Dragons. This episode, we gaze upon something truly alien. Can we formulate an evolutionary path to produce a malicious floating orb creature that stares at the world through many eyes? Our creatures to create this time: Beholders. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev And share your Spook-E musings on social media with the hashtag #SpookE Check out our blog for podcast info, fan art, and more! http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Subscribe for a free 30-day trial at Audible! www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Stegosaurus is one of the all-time most famous and recognizable dinosaurs, but it wasn’t alone! Its whole extended family, the stegosaurs, were medium- to large-sized herbivorous dinosaurs sporting an array of plates and spikes. This episode, we discuss the diversity and deep history of stegosaurs, what we know of their lifestyles, and of course the big questions: just what were they doing with that ridiculous armor? In the news: Moon impacts, bird brains, Jurassic vomit, and super-old algae. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:31:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 00:58:30 Patron question: 01:48:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible! www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent Check out Riley Black’s newest book: The Last Days of the Dinosaurs Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monsters of Dungeons and Dragons. This episode, we roll out a monster that’s tough to get grasp on. From where on the tree of life might we develop a many-limbed predator with a knack for fooling the eye? Our creatures to create this time: Displacer beasts. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev And share your Spook-E musings on social media with the hashtag #SpookE Check out our blog for podcast info, fan art, and more! http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Subscribe for a free 30-day trial at Audible! www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monsters of Dungeons and Dragons. This episode, we play with a classic chimera. How might nature select for a beast that combines the fierce features of a bear and a bird of prey? Our creatures to create this time: Owlbears. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev And share your Spook-E musings on social media with the hashtag #SpookE Check out our blog for podcast info, fan art, and more! http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Subscribe for a free 30-day trial at Audible! www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

In our modern world, ants are so ubiquitous that it’s difficult to image our planet without them, so successful that they shape the environments around them despite their tiny size, and so diverse that we couldn’t possibly discuss even a small fraction of their diversity in this one podcast episode. We’ll touch on some of what makes ants unique, list a few of our favorite examples of modern ant lifestyles, and dive into what is known about their ancient history and evolution. Get ready for fire ants, bullet ants, dinosaur ants, hell ants, and more. In the news: mysterious maybe-molluscs, giant otters, tuatara cousins, and fossil fish organs. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:31:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:30 Patron question: 01:54:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow this link for a 30 day free trial to Audible! www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Powered flight is hard, and evolution has only produced it a few times. Gliding, however, is much easier and much more common. In fact, there is an astonishing diversity of gliding organisms to be found in our modern world as well as in the fossil record, with an incredible variety in the adaptations they use to sail through the sky. This episode, we’ll explore what it takes to glide and what patterns we see in gliding evolution, and we’ll also geek out about all the amazing sizes, shapes, and strategies of gliders. In the news: coral mutations, African dinosaurs, croc brains, and ancient amputation. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:28:30 Patron question: 02:22:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Support Mouse’s classroom! https://www.donorschoose.org/classroom/mx-hecht Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

For many years, scientists pondered the question: how and why do offspring inherit traits from their parents? And key to the answer to that question is another question: what determines an organism’s traits in the first place? The pursuit of these answers ultimately led to the modern field of genetics, which itself is crucial to the study of evolution. This episode, we address just a few key points on this vast topic, with a focus on how our understanding of genetics allows us to interpret the history of evolution on our planet. In the news: early fruit-eating, giant Australian birds, beaver evolution, and human speech. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:08:30 Patron question: 02:00:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Every period of geologic time is distinguished by its own environmental and ecological features, and every boundary between time periods is characterized by change. The boundary between the Jurassic Period and the Cretaceous Period is mostly marked by mystery. Was there a mass extinction? Were there catastrophic changes? Where even is the boundary exactly? In this episode, we’ll discuss the answers – or lack thereof – to these questions and more as we explore this surprisingly enigmatic time in Earth history. In the news: croc conservation, diving whales, aquatic mammal-cousins, and sauropod feet. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:15 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:00:30 Patron question: 01:33:30 We recently appeared on the Juras-Sick-Park-Cast! https://jurassickparkcast.blogspot.com/2022/07/episode-20-when-dinosaurs-ruled-earth.html Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

We live in a solar-powered world. Photosynthesis is the process by which some organisms (notably plants and cyanobacteria) harness the energy of sunlight to power their own metabolism, in the process creating the sugars (food) which provide a source of energy for all sorts of other organisms, not to mention releasing oxygen as well. Photosynthesis is the reason our planet is the way it is, from the diversity of life to the composition of the atmosphere. In this episode, we discuss the diversity of photosynthesis and photosynthesizers, what we know about the evolutionary history of the process, and how it has profoundly changed the world. In the news: freshwater plesiosaurs, endothermy evolution, whale shark diets, and bone-crushing dogs. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:08:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:43:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:45:30 Patron question: 02:31:00 Please forgive our mismatched audio in the Intro and News sections. We recently appeared on the Juras-Sick-Park-Cast! https://jurassickparkcast.blogspot.com/2022/07/episode-20-when-dinosaurs-ruled-earth.html Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

The history of evolution is full of species of unusual size, big and small. But the factors that lead to evolutionary miniaturization or embiggening can be quite varied and are not all fully agreed-upon by scientists. This episode, we discuss what it means for life to evolve huge or tiny, what trends researchers have identified in body size evolution, and which of those trends actually holds up to further scrutiny. In the news: krait venom, a frozen pup, parental water bugs, and giant storks. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:32:30 Patron question: 02:10:30 IT’S SNAKE MONTH! Check out our Snake Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon! Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Happy Snake Month! In this bonus episode, we discuss snake conservation and geek out about snakes with special guest Hiral Naik of Save the Snakes. We talk about what it takes to save snakes, why snakes are so worthy of our attention and respect, and why education is such a major part of snake conservation! Follow Hiral on Twitter: @HiralNaik25 Instagram: @hirals_hive Save The Snakes: https://savethesnakes.org/ Twitter: @savethesnakes Instagram: @savingsnakes Snake Education and Community Awareness Program (SECAP): https://www.secap.info/ World Snake Day: https://www.snakes.ngo/wsd/ Check out more Snake Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon (links below)! Check out our blog for more info about us and our episodes: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow, Join, and Support us on: Discord: https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Monitor lizards are charismatic, surprisingly diverse, full of surprising biological features, and on top of all that, they include the largest terrestrial lizards in history. Also, they’re closely related to snakes (it is Snake Month, after all). That’s a cool group of lizards! In this episode, we discuss what makes these lizards so unique and fascinating, and we dive into their long but often mysterious fossil record to address some major questions about monitor evolution. In the news: vampire squids, dinosaur eggs, octopus intelligence, and pickled snakes. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:45 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:19:30 Patron question: 01:57:00 IT’S SNAKE MONTH! Check out our Snake Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon! Links to the organizations we mentioned in the Intro: National Network of Abortion Funds: https://abortionfunds.org/about/ Answer: https://answer.rutgers.edu/page/aboutusintro Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Take a walk along the waterways of the Late Triassic, and you could easily think it was a world full of crocodiles! But in fact, those are not crocs, but phytosaurs, a group of predatory reptiles that represent not only one of the oldest groups of carnivorous reptiles to achieve a near-global distribution, but also one of evolution's most famous cases of convergent evolution. So, what features did phytosaurs share with crocs? Where did they differ? And just how croc-like were their lifestyles? Listen in and find out! In the news: dinosaur belly buttons, tiny frogs, snake venom, and giant dwarf crocs. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:45 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:11:30 Patron question: 01:47:00 IT’S CROC MONTH! Check out our Croc Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon! We recently made a guest appearance on Third Pod From the Sun, where we discussed the K-Pg mass extinction! https://thirdpodfromthesun.com/2022/06/10/extinctions-dinosaurs-a-big-rock-andclimate-change/ Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Once again, we return to the Jurassic franchise! And as usual with these movies, there’s lots to discuss about the portrayal of ancient animals, scientific concepts, and scientists. Another trilogy concludes – Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) _ IT’S CROC MONTH! Check out our Croc Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon! Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Happy Croc Month! In this special episode, we talk croc conservation and geek out about crocs with special guest Dr. Marisa Tellez of the Crocodilian Research Coalition. We learn about what it’s like to study crocs in the wild, we discuss the importance of public education, and we hear some of Marisa’s amazing croc tales! Follow Marisa on Instagram and Twitter: @crocparasites13 CRC Info: Webpage: www.crocodileresearchcoalition.org Facebook and Pinterest: Crocodile Research Coalition Instagram: @crocodileresearchcoalition Twitter: @CrocResCoal TikTok: crc_crocresearchcoal Check out more Croc Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon (links below)! Check out our blog for more info about us and our episodes: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow, Join, and Support us on: Discord: https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Pangaea, the supercontinent that existed when our modern continents were puzzle-pieced together. But have you heard of Rodinia? Or Columbia? Scientists have only come to realize in the last few decades that supercontinents are a recurring feature of our planet. This episode, we discuss what counts as a supercontinent, what evidence they leave behind, and the various ways they impact just about every other feature of our planet as they continuously come together and break apart. In the news: croc resilience, American cheetahs, dome-headed giraffoids, and traveling termites. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:43:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:14:30 Patron question: 02:03:30 IT’S CROC MONTH! Check out our Croc Month activities on our social media, Discord, and Patreon! We recently made a guest appearance on Third Pod From the Sun, where we discussed the K-Pg mass extinction! https://thirdpodfromthesun.com/2022/06/10/extinctions-dinosaurs-a-big-rock-andclimate-change/ Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Recently, BBC Studios put out a new documentary series set in the world of the Late Cretaceous, so we’re doing our first-ever Silver Screen Science discussion focused on a documentary! The documentary in question: Prehistoric Planet. Happy Croc Month! Special things are going on throughout this (and next) month in all the places linked below! Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Who doesn’t like a flashy bit of headgear? A wide variety of cranial ornamentation is found on a wide variety of animals: sharp horns, branching antlers, bumpy knobs, and more. In this episode, we break down what technically counts as a “horn” (you’ll be unsurprised to learn there isn’t a simple answer!), the vast diversity of animal headgear today and in the fossil record, and the various ways animals have found to use these remarkable structures. In the news: sabertoothed faces, head origins, dinosaur climates, and ancient false gharials. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:20:00 Patron question: 02:16:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Scavenging isn’t easy. There’s a reason most scavengers are only part-time carrion-eaters. But vultures are exquisitely adapted for a dedicated lifestyle of finding and feasting on carcasses, and as a result, they’ve made themselves invaluable members of ecosystems all over the globe. In this episode, we explore vulture evolution, their ancient history, and the adaptations that make them the world’s most famous scavengers. In the news: insect wings, trilobite mating, a “small” sauropod, and post-Cretaceous plants. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:00 Patron question: 01:44:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

It's an easy mistake to think of the Moon as a simple accessory to our planet, but the Earth and Moon are a close-knit pair, and the Moon influences everything from our tides to our magnetic fields to the brightness of our nights. All life on Earth has evolved in the presence of the Moon, and so life on Earth can't be fully understood without considering our cosmic companion. In this episode, we discuss how the Moon influences life past and present, and what we know about the deep history of the Earth-Moon relationship. In the news: pterosaur colors, a glowing spider, deformed pollen, and a long-toed tetrapod. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:30 Patron question: 01:55:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

We talk about fossils a lot on this podcast – every episode, in fact – but we rarely take the time to discuss how fossils get the way they are. This is a crucial subject, because the fossilization process is a filter, and nothing comes through the filter unaltered, and many things don’t come through at all. In this episode, we talk about how fossils typically form, how we study this process, and why it’s so important for paleontologists to understand fossilization. In the news: giant croc tracks, injured dino footprints, evolution in cities, and ancient snakey-ness. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:00 Patron question: 01:52:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Seahorses are very strange fish, with their upright posture, tube-like mouths, and various other unusual features. Along with their cousins in the family Syngnathidae, seahorses have been the subject of much research into how they came about their bizarre body plans and lifestyles. In this episode, we discuss a bit of what we know of how seahorses (and their relatives) do what they do, and how they came to do it. In the news: trilobite predators, early jaws, de-extinction troubles, and spinosaur bone density. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:26:30 Patron question: 02:08:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Our highest-level supporters on Patreon get their own special mini-episode on a topic of their choosing! We released the first five in a compilation a while ago, and now that we’ve done five more, here’s another compilation for everyone to enjoy. Special thanks to our Patrons for their generous contributions, and thanks also to our special guest, Laura! 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:15 Crinoids for Lewis 00:16:15 Acrocanthosaurus for Will 00:36:30 The Hadean for Jordan 00:52:30 Fainting Goats for Mike 01:12:30 Scabies for Andreas Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Every plant starts somewhere, and often that somewhere is inside a seed. Seeds are among the most diverse and important evolutionary innovations of plants, allowing species to survive, thrive, and travel between generations in extraordinary ways. This episode, Aly joins us to discuss how seeds do what they do, how seeds have evolved over time, and how seeds are invaluable resources for paleontologists seeking to understand plants of the past. In the news: early octopus-cousins, early tuatara cousins, evolution of walking, and how sauropods moved. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:46:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:39:00 Patron question: 02:22:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Paleoartist Rob Soto has created some fantastic artwork for the podcast over the years. Most recently, for our Five Year Anniversary celebration, he produced our Five Year logo and a series of movie-poster-style depictions of famous fossil localities, all now available on our merch store! In this special episode, we continue our Five Year celebration by sitting down with Rob to discuss his background in art and the process of creating the Art of Common Descent. Find Rob online: https://linktr.ee/RaptorRobb You can check out Rob’s art and other merchandise on our Zazzle store: http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Blood is nutritious, easy to digest, and not hard to come by, so it’s unsurprising – if a bit unsettling – that thousands of species have evolved a taste for the stuff. From birds to bats to bugs, the diversity of sanguivores includes a wide variety of body plans, feeding strategies, and unique evolutionary histories, all converging upon a similar set of behaviors and features honed for a diet of blood. Be aware, this episode is, at times, kinda gross. In the news: a new spinosaur, a new pterosaur, a new abelisaur, and a new euphorbia. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:27:00 Patron question: 02:19:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

None of us are alone. Like, in the literal, biological sense. Symbiotic relationships – close interactions between unrelated organisms – are a defining feature of life on Earth. Each of our bodies has its own share of parasites, hitchhikers, and tiny helpers, and some of the most prominent ecosystems on Earth function only by virtue of the symbiotic relationships at their foundations. In this episode, we touch on the incredible diversity and impact of symbiosis, and how the deep history of these relationships has created the world we know today. In the news: sick sauropods, puking pterosaurs, jumping genes in snakes, and dino-eating crocs. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:24:30 Patron question: 02:05:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Episode 132 – Mary and Louis Leakey Happy Darwin Day! Mary and Louis Leakey are two of the biggest names in the history of paleoanthropology and human evolution, and they’re one of history’s most impressive scientific duos. In this episode, our special guest takes us through the tales of the Leakey’s most important scientific work, their personal lives, and the ongoing impact they’ve had on modern science. Our guest this episode is Meredith Johnson, Communications Director at the Leakey Foundation and host of Origin Stories! Learn more here: https://leakeyfoundation.org/category/origin-stories/ Follow the Leakey Foundation at @TheLeakeyFndtn Follow Origin Stories at @OriginsPodcast In the news: artificial intelligence meets fossils, red nectar evolution, arthropod nervous systems, and ancient human diets. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:08:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:46:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:27:00 Patron question: 02:08:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Volcanoes are fascinating, devastating, and fundamental to Earth systems. Volcanic eruptions can transform ecosystems, landscapes, and even the atmosphere, and at their most extreme, the effects of volcanism can be global and long-lasting. In this overstuffed episode, we discuss the many forms and features of volcanic activity, and we take a look at the complex and dramatic interaction between volcanoes and life on Earth. In the news: ankylosaur brains, an Australian rainforest, donkey hybrids, and the Tonga volcanic eruption. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:44:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:27:30 Patron question: 02:37:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

With every breath you take, you’re collecting information about your surroundings. We humans are actually pretty skilled smellers, as these things go, but olfactory abilities vary widely across the animal kingdom (and beyond). In this episode, we discuss how smelling works, what smelling is good for, and how scientists explore the evolutionary history of smell. In the news: giant ichthyosaurs, giant millipedes, long-tongued birds, and oviraptorid embryos. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:27:30 Patron question: 02:07:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Happy New Year! Thanks as always to everyone who submitted questions for the Q&A. Thanks to everyone for listening, sharing, and supporting the podcast this year and for our whole run of nearly five years. We make the podcast, but you, our audience, make the podcast possible. More to come. See you in 2022. Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Today, rhinos are famous for their large size and impressive horns (and their distressing conservation status, sadly), but modern rhinos are only a small sample of what rhinos have been over time. Thanks to a surprisingly good rhino fossil record, we have a pretty good picture of how these animals got started and of the surprising forms they’ve taken since, from horse-like runners to hippo-shaped waders to gargantuan behemoths. This episode, we discuss rhinos as we know them, rhinos when they were weird, and a few rhino-y things that aren’t rhinos at all. In the news: ancient croc hunting, dinosaur colors, shrinking orangutans, and ammonite soft tissue. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:13:30 Patron question: 02:12:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Far below the ocean surface is a vast environment of cold, darkness, very scarce food, and surprisingly diverse life. Deep sea life is quite mysterious, in part because of their unusual adaptations for surviving in such tough habitats, and also because it’s very difficult to study organisms of the deep, modern or fossil. In this episode, we discuss what is known about the adaptations, evolutionary history, and diversity of life in the deep sea. In the news: blade-tailed ankylosaurs, ostrich-like dinosaurs, shrimps in clams, and carnivorous ichthyosaurs. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:25:30 Patron question: 02:01:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ We're now taking questions for our End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here: https://forms.gle/Q3jHtLSp5CdFuAuL9 Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Surprise! A special short(ish) episode of Silver Screen Science to discuss the Prologue/Trailer for Jurassic World: Dominion! Time markers: Science Discussion: 00:00 More Thoughts: 25:00 We're now taking questions for our End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here: https://forms.gle/Q3jHtLSp5CdFuAuL9 Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Located across a wide area of the Upper Great Plains of the United States, the Hell Creek Formation is one of the world’s premier locations for studying the Age of Dinosaurs, especially trends of evolution – and extinction – at the very end of the Mesozoic Era. In this episode, we discuss the ancient history and scientific history of the region, including some famous finds and groundbreaking research. In the news: giant ammonites, extinction beetles, baby pterosaurs, and the controversial Tetrapodophis. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:02:30 Patron question: 01:37:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ We're now taking questions for our End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here: https://forms.gle/Q3jHtLSp5CdFuAuL9 Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Evolution loves to plagiarize. You might be surprised at just how useful it can be for an organism to copy the signals, sights, sounds, and smells of others. Mimicry is all about making use of miscommunication. In this episode we’ll discuss the astounding diversity of modern mimics, the rare examples of fossil mimics, and the complex and confusing evolution patterns of mimicry. In the news: Cambrian bryozoans, early tusks, hermit worms, and parthenogenetic condors. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:20:30 Patron question: 01:59:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ We're now taking questions for our End of the Year Q&A! Submit your question here: https://forms.gle/Q3jHtLSp5CdFuAuL9 Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Orchids are among the most diverse and widespread group of plants on Earth today, not to mention one of the most popular among plant enthusiasts. This episode, we discuss what makes orchids so unique and strange, as well as the many mysteries surrounding their evolution and deep history. As with all our plant episodes, Aly is on hand to tell us all about why orchids are so fascinating. Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist! Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax In the news: Permian gliders, social dinosaurs, amber crab, and snake diets. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:12:00 Patron question: 01:39:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.com Or send us physical mail at: The Common Descent Podcast 1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165 Johnson City, TN 37604 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/

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a famous monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monster plants. This episode, we face a more modern monster, star of page and screen. Can we invoke natural processes to develop a plant that haunts humans and strikes with a deadly lash? Our creatures to create this time: triffids. Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist! Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find Spook-E merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a famous monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monster plants. This episode, we evaluate a famous and deadly monster favored by healers and witches. How can we use nature’s toolkit to evolve a baby-shaped root with a fatal scream? Our creatures to create this time: mandrakes. Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist! Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find Spook-E merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

An Earth covered in ice might sound far-fetched, but there’s reason to think it has actually happened in the past – more than once. In this episode, we examine the Snowball Earth hypothesis and the geologic evidence and climate models that back it up, as well as some of the major lingering questions: Just how snowy is the snowball? How could this start? How could it end? And how did life fare on a frozen planet? In the news: ancient tardigrades, meat-eating sloths, shark communities, and relict mangroves. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:02:00 Patron question: 01:44:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 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/

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a famous monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monster plants. This episode, we ponder a familiar favorite of myths, media, and Middle Earth. What evolutionary path might result in a towering woody plant that walks and talks? Our creatures to create this time: animated trees. Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist! Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find Spook-E merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a famous monster and discussing how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and natural selection, pulling inspiration from organisms of the real world. This year’s theme: monster plants. This episode, we consider a classic category of plants-turned-monsters. How might natural selection produce a predatory plant with a taste for humans? Our creatures to create this time: people-eating plants. Featuring special guest, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, our favorite paleobotanist! Follow Aly on Twitter or Instagram @paleolorax Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find Spook-E merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Spiders are among the most diverse, successful, and famous living groups of invertebrates. Today, they’re a worldwide assortment of fascinating predators, and their scarce fossil record provides hints of a history over 300 million years old. In this episode, we discuss the diversity and evolution of spiders, their varied lifestyles, and their most versatile and famous tool, silk. In the news: snake evolution, giant penguins, early American humans, and spider parents. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:12:30 Patron question: 01:53:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 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/

The Earth is in motion beneath our feet. The shifting and grinding of the tectonic plates is responsible for the shape of our planet’s surface and – directly or indirectly – nearly all the activity that happens upon it. Plate tectonics has a deep and fascinating history, both as a force that has shaped the Earth for billions of years and as a surprisingly recent foundational scientific theory. In the news: shark teeth, Cambrian predators, Carnotaurus skin, and teratorns. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:29:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:30 Patron question: 01:57:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 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/

Nearly all animals have some form of nervous system, and this system is often monitored and regulated by a brain. We humans are particularly proud of our enormous brains, but these organs come in all shapes and sizes across the animal kingdom, past and present. In this episode, we discuss brain diversity, the sometimes roundabout ways we explore brains in the fossil record, and what we’ve come to learn about the evolution of brains. In the news: turtle embryo, frog-legged leaf beetle, early lizard cousin, and tyrannosaur brains. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:15 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:34:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:12:45 Patron question: 02:05:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or, make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 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/

Ever since T. rex was first identified in 1905, tyrannosaurs have been among the most famous and well-studied dinosaurs of all time. Research, especially in the last few decades, has revealed incredible details of tyrannosaur evolution, lifestyles, and development. This episode, we take a tour through tyrannosaur history, envision what these predators were like in life, and touch on some of the most prominent tyrannosaur controversies, including their notorious popularity. In the news: venom evolution, mammoth roaming, Jurassic land-croc, and climate change. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:45:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:24:00 Patron question: 02:44:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Or, make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 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/

India is a landmass with an incredible history. Over the past half-billion years, it has spent time with the southern continents, time as an island-on-the-move, and time with the northern continents. Its fossil record is a combination of southern life, northern life, and uniquely Indian life, and its geologic history is not only the story of a traveling subcontinent, but also the origin story of one of Earth’s most impressive mountain ranges. In the news: baby pterosaurs, vampire bats, early sponges, and snake-y ancient reptiles. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 00:55:30 Patron question: 01:38:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 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/

As organisms live, grow, and move in their environments, they leave all sorts of traces in their surroundings, and these can become fossilized just like body parts can. Trace fossils (ichnofossils) can include evidence of burrowing, walking, feeding, and more. Individual trace fossils are great for understanding the behaviors of ancient organisms, and communities of trace fossils can help us track major changes in ecosystems through time. In the news: damaged cave bear, shrinking dinosaurs, koala lemurs, and megaripples. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:11:30 Patron question: 01:55:00 We're on a new podcast! We're both players on Mysteries of the Mournland, a Level Up: Advanced Fifth Edition actual play horror podcast, set in the world of Eberron. https://motma5epodcast.podbean.com/ Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Find merch at the Common Descent Store! 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 Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 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/

What exactly is a “crab” anyway? One answer is that they are among the most diverse and successful living arthropods. Another answer: they are many different groups of crustaceans that have converged on a crabby body plan. In this episode, we discuss the diversity and evolution of “true crabs,” the incredible phenomenon of carcinization that keeps creating crabs, and what it really means to be a “crab.” In the news: poop beetles, Arctic dinosaurs, Dragon Man, and an ancient shark attack. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:06:00 Patron question: 01:46:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Find merch at the Common Descent Store! 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 Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 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/

The history of evolution has seen many land animals move to the sea, but few have done it with such success and specialization as ichthyosaurs. These Mesozoic marine reptiles were the first group of tetrapods to truly dominate the marine realm, and they evolved some of the most extreme adaptations – and largest bodies – of any ocean-dwelling tetrapods. This episode, we discuss how they got started, what they did, where they went, and why they’re so incredibly famous. In the news: giant crocs, giant rhinos, young tyrannosaurs, and dwarf elephants. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:15:00 Patron question: 01:59:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Find merch at the Common Descent Store! 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 Instagram: @commondescentpodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 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/