The Common Descent Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 104 - Pinnipeds Jan 09, 2021

Show notes

Seals, sea lions, and walruses (oh my!) are widespread, successful, and invariably charming. In this episode, we take a look at how they’re adapted for their aquatic lifestyles and how they might have gotten that way. We’ll explore some of the unanswered questions about their origins and evolution, and we’ll take a tour through their diverse but spotty fossil record.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:29:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 00:57:00
Patron question: 01:32:00

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
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PodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduw

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

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/

End of the Year Q&A 2020 Dec 30, 2020

Show notes

Happy New Year!

A huge thanks to everyone who sent in questions for this year’s Q&A – we got more than we could even answer! – and to everyone who has supported the podcast this year by listening, sharing, donating, and reaching out to us.

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

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Episode 103 – The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum Dec 26, 2020

Show notes

The PETM has been called the largest natural climate change event of the Cenozoic Era. It marks the transition from the ecosystems of the Paleocene to the more familiar world of the Eocene and is thus an important step in making the world the way we know it today. But maybe most importantly, it is a dramatic case study in what happens when a huge amount of Carbon injected into the atmosphere triggers rapid warming of global climate … you know, in case anyone needs to know about that.

In the news: pterosaur cousins, oldest pythons, burrowed dinosaurs, and hibernating hominins.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:04:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:03:00
Patron question: 01:36:30

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

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 102 - Parasites Dec 12, 2020

Show notes

The word parasite doesn’t typically invoke a lot of happy thoughts for us humans, but as far as life on Earth is concerned, parasitism is a path to success. As we discuss in this episode, an incredible diversity of organisms, past and present, have developed an equally incredible diversity of strategies for stealing, siphoning, and exploiting resources from other organisms.

In the news: surprise bird beak, alligator tails, flightless birds, and chemical re-assessment.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:05:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:39:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:21:00
Patron question: 01:55:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Submit your questions for our End of the Year Q&A using this form, closing December 15th! https://forms.gle/2BDWts2RaKzRo3hL8

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode 101 - Sauropods Nov 28, 2020

Show notes

Is there a group of dinosaurs more iconic than sauropods? Famous for their ridiculously long necks, their global success, their astounding diversity, and of course for their unparalleled size, sauropods have fascinated and puzzled people for centuries. In this episode, we’ll explore what makes sauropods and their ancestors special, and we’ll talk a bit about how they functioned at truly colossal scales.

In the news: strange-jawed sharks, ancient walruses, dinosaur demise, and the oldest blindsnakes.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:30
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:04:30
Patron question: 01:42:00

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Submit your questions for our End of the Year Q&A using this form: https://forms.gle/2BDWts2RaKzRo3hL8

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

100 Episodes: A Look Back Nov 22, 2020

Show notes

We’ve released 100 episodes of the podcast! Plus, more than 50 side episodes, a handful of YouTube videos, some live shows … it’s been quite a journey. In this episode, we take some time to look back over our experience, to discuss some of our favorite aspects of the podcast, and above all, to thank our listeners.

Thank you. To everyone who listens to the podcast; everyone who supports us on Patreon; everyone who sends us requests, questions, comments, and feedback; everyone who follows us on social media or leaves a review on iTunes; everyone who comes to see us at DragonCon; everyone who tells their friends about us. This podcast wouldn’t exist without all of you, and we are so, so glad it exists.

Here’s to another 100 episodes.

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Submit your questions for our End of the Year Q&A using this form: https://forms.gle/2BDWts2RaKzRo3hL8

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Episode 100 - The Origin of Life Nov 14, 2020

Show notes

One hundred episodes is kind of a big deal, so we figured we’d pick a big deal kind of topic, and it doesn’t get much bigger than this.

As far as we can tell, all life on Earth is descended from a common ancestry – at some point, at least once, life originated on Earth. But when, where, and how? These are open questions that have been subject to lots of scientific and philosophical discussions and experiments. In this episode, we’ll touch on some of the biggest questions: What even is life? How old is life on Earth? What steps led to the first living things? Is Earth the only place this has happened?

In the news: dino bone disease, amphibian chameleons, ancient social mammals, and pterosaur diets.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:08:00
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:30:00
Patron questions: 02:26:30

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:
http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/

Submit your questions for our End of the Year Q&A using this form: https://forms.gle/2BDWts2RaKzRo3hL8

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode 99 - Evolution of Insects Oct 31, 2020

Show notes

Insects must be among the most impressive animals in Earth history. For hundreds of millions of years, they have been some of the most significant animals on land in terms of their abundance, diversity, and ecological impact. Their deep story is marked by evolutionary innovations that weren’t just major events for insects, but major events for the entire planet. This episode, we barely scratch the surface of the insect story.

In the news: a new pterosaur, big Antarctic birds, gliding dinosaurs, and a dinosaur cloaca.

Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:30
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:08:00
Patron question: 01:56:30

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
Featuring art by Rob Soto! https://www.rob-soto.com/

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/

Spook-E - The Sirens Oct 31, 2020

Show notes

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

It’s October once again and time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a monster and discussing how it – or something like – might evolve biologically, pulling inspiration from critters of the real world. This month’s theme: sea monsters.

This episode, we turn our attention to the creatures whose enticing songs sound over the sea. How can we naturally evolve a group of humanoid(ish) island-dwellers whose voices lure in victims? Our creatures to create this time: the Sirens.

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

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Spook-E - The Leviathan Oct 24, 2020

Show notes

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

This episode, we explore a monster whose name is synonymous with immensity and might. What biological history could explain a dangerous sea giant worthy of divine association? Our creature to create this time: the Leviathan.

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