The Common Descent Podcast

With all the incredible diversity of life, it’s fascinating how often evolution repeats itself. The fossil record and the modern world are full of signs of this pattern of convergent evolution – similar pressures drive organisms to similar features and lifestyles. In this episode, we’ll talk about what exactly convergent evolution entails, share some of our favorite examples, and talk about how things can get a bit confusing. Did we mention your favorite example of convergent evolution? In the news: rhino DNA, baby sea turtles, sea snake breathing, and dinosaur temperatures. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:02:00 Patron question: 01:35:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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. Muscial 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 dinosaur time again! This episode, the spotlight is on the “living tanks” of the Mesozoic, the armored ankylosaurs. These impressive creatures were covered head to tail in dazzling armor that puts most other fortified animals to shame. We’ll discuss what exactly they may have been doing with that armor and how they fit into dinosaur-filled ecosystems. Oh, and we’ll talk about those tail clubs, too. In the news: shark-bitten whales, an early hominin skull, “killer” claws, and pterosaur poop. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:30 Main discussion: 00:32:00 Mid-discussion break: 01:01:00 Patron question: 01:40:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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. Muscial Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

If you’re reading this, there’s a very good chance you’re using one of the most incredible tools in the animal toolkit: the eye! In this episode, we discuss what’s known – and what’s suspected – about the incredible evolutionary history of the eye. How many types of eyes are there? What is an eye, anyway? Just how difficult is it to evolve something so intricate and complex?  All this and more! In the news: a giant parrot, a giant penguin, ancient RNA, and crinoid rafts. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:09:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ We're going to be at DragonCon 2019! The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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. Muscial 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 were in southern California for NAPC recently, so we sat down with a bunch of the crew from La Brea to get some insights into their work, their history, and their favorite things about the site. In this audio, you’ll hear from: Dr. Emily Lindsey, Assistant Curator and Excavation Site Director Dr. Mairin Balisi, NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow Laura Tewksbury-Wall, Senior Preparator Sean Campbell, Preparator Connie Clarke, Preparator Students from the La Brea Tar Pits Field School Thanks to everyone who spoke with us! Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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. Muscial Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  

How odd that one of the world’s richest and most famous fossil sites isn’t on a mountain or in a desert, but in the heart of one of the world’s largest cities. In this episode, we’ll dive into the history of the La Brea Tar Pits, explore how the site came to be, and give just a taste of the staggering diversity of fossil finds that fuel research into the latest chapters of the Ice Age. Also, we’ll explain why “tar pits” isn’t really a great name for them. In the news: a Cambrian Millennium Falcon, turtle bones, mammal ancestors, and a whale with a twist. Don’t miss our Bonus Episode: Voices of La Brea, including interviews with a bunch of the crew! Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:09:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:00:00 Patron question: 01:33:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ We're going to be at DragonCon 2019! The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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. Muscial Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This episode, we take a deep dive into the evolutionary story of Earth’s largest land mammals. Extinction has left us with only three elephant species today, but for tens of millions of years their extended family, the proboscideans, came in many weird and wondrous forms, from mammoths to mastodons to shovel-tuskers and more. In the news: clam secrets, weird bird feet, surprise Greek humans, and early hominin breastfeeding. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:34:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:05:00 Patron question: 01:56:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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. Muscial 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 Episode 65, and you know what that means … extinction! This time, we address the ancient and confusing Late Devonian extinction. This is traditionally considered one of the “Big 5,” but it doesn’t seem to be “one” extinction at all. Geologists and paleontologists continue to work at piecing together the various causes and consequences that create an extended series – several millions years long – of very unfortunate events that altogether comprise one of the worst biological crises in Earth history. In the news: tyrannosaur smells, peccary behavior, and a talk (by us) about our podcast! Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:33:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 00:59:30 Patron question: 01:37:30 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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. Muscial Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Featuring paleoartist and herpetologist Gabriel Ugueto! Follow Gabriel on Twitter (@SerpenIllus) or at his website, gabrielugueto.com, and listen to his herpetology podcast: squamatespod.com Can you picture paleontology without … pictures? For about as long as people have been digging up fossils, some have tried to recreate ancient organisms through art. Paleoartists combine artistic talents with detailed knowledge of life past and present to create their best hypotheses about the appearance of ancient species and ecosystems. Their work shows in the many images, animations, and sculptures that accompany research, museum displays, books, documentaries, and more. Paleoart is an inextricable piece of paleontology, and it’s all around us! In the news: Arctic hyenas, dinosaur bone bacteria, a croc climate clock, and a big trilobite. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:31:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:08:00 Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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. Muscial Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Part 5 of 5 in this month’s series: KaiJune! There’s a new Godzilla movie, and that means it’s time for more movie science! All June, we’ll be exploring giant monster movies, specifically looking at two of the most famous examples of all time: King Kong and Godzilla. How do these movies handle such subjects as prehistoric creatures, the science of paleontology, and the portrayal of scientists? This episode, the latest installments: Godzilla (2014) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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.

Part 4 of 5 in this month’s series: KaiJune! There’s a new Godzilla movie, and that means it’s time for more movie science! All June, we’ll be exploring giant monster movies, specifically looking at two of the most famous examples of all time: King Kong and Godzilla. How do these movies handle such subjects as prehistoric creatures, the science of paleontology, and the portrayal of scientists? This episode, Kong in the 21st century: King Kong (2005) and Kong: Skull Island (2017) The Common Descent Store is open! Get merch! http://zazzle.com/common_descent Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures: http://commondescentpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ 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.