What's the Silurian Period?

In this episode:

00:45 Piecing together the early history of jawed vertebrates

A wealth of fossils discovered in southern China shed new light onto the diversity of jawed and jawless fish during the Silurian period, over 400 million years ago. Nature editor Henry Gee explains the finds and what they mean for the history of jawed vertebrates like us.

Research article: Zhu et al.

Research article: Gai et al.

Research article: Andreev et al.

Research article: Andreev et al.

News and Views: Fossils reveal the deep roots of jawed vertebrates

09:09 Research Highlights

Mice studies help explain why some people with a rare genetic condition have heightened musical abilities, and high-resolution images reveal how bees build honeycomb.

Research Highlight: How a missing gene leads to super-sensitivity to sound

Research Highlight: X-rays reveal how bees achieve an engineering marvel: the honeycomb

11:27 A lack of evidence in transgender policy making

Around the world, many laws are being proposed – and passed – regarding the rights of transgender people to participate in various aspects of society. We talk to Paisley Currah, who has written a World View for Nature arguing that these policies are frequently not backed up by data, and that policy affecting trans people’s lives needs to take a more evidence-based approach.

World View: To set transgender policy, look to the evidence

Watch our video about research trying to crack the nature of consciousness by dosing volunteers with psychedelic drugs and scanning their brains.

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