The Common Descent Podcast

This episode, we’re talking mass extinction again! Last time, we touched on the event that ended the Age of Dinosaurs, but this time – by listener request! – we’re discussing the event that started it: patterns and potential causes of the end-Triassic mass extinction. In the news: a colorful armored giant; a surprise apex predator; epigenetics and variation; and some fast-evolving big-headed geckos! Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion: 00:35:00 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 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

This episode, we finally take the time to talk in detail about the dig site we mention more than any other, the site where we both spent many years: the Gray Fossil Site! We discuss the site’s discovery, ongoing work, ancient ecosystem, and some of our own experiences. In the news: the speed of T. rex, warm-blooded evolution, dinosaur sails, and the earliest Australians. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main discussion: 00:31:00 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 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

And now for something completely different! Just how deep is Deep Time? Exactly how are important events arranged throughout our planet’s history? Which events are recent and which are ancient? In this special episode, we take a tour through Earth History, from beginning to end, one million years per second: a virtual trip through geologic time! Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 Tour Through Time: 00:04:30 Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

The episode comes to you from inside the fossil prep lab, where we explore what goes into cleaning, repairing, and generally making fossils ready for study. We are joined by our friend Shawn Haugrud, as well as two of his lab’s head preparators: Shayleigh Maden and Davis Gunnin! In the news: swimming strategies of plesiosaurs, surprise marine mass extinction, a bone-crushing Jurassic croc, and the temperature of dinosaur eggs. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:00 Main discussion: 00:32:30 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 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

This episode is about the history of the earth, and how we compile all that we know about the ancient past in the great Geologic Time Scale.    In the news: the shapes of bird eggs, very ancient amphibians, more dinosaur faces, and the history of hippos. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:03:00 Main discussion: 00:32:00 Patron announcements & question: 01:32:00 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 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

This episode is another listener-requested topic! We’re discussing the fascinating and mysterious continent of Antarctica, its long complex history, and the rare and intriguing fossils that are found there. In the news: a baby bird in amber, ancient elephant genetics, surprisingly early humans, and the formation of a famous dinosaur site. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:02:30 Main discussion: 00:33:00 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/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

We’re back for another digression! Another new study is making (ridiculous) headlines all across the internet! It’s the first published investigation of Tyrannosaurus scales, by Bell et al., and it has people asking: where are the feathers? You can access the study itself here: http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/13/6/20170092 Follow and Support us on: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcast/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

This episode, we’re taking the time to talk about a subject that comes up just about every episode: the classification and relationships of living organisms. Taxonomy, Phylogeny, and the Tree of Life! In the news: giant ground sloth diets, how whales got huge, the crunching jaws of T. rex, and the evolution of soldier bees! Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:30 Main discussion: 00:28:00 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/ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-descent-podcast/id1207586509?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

In this episode, we’re discussing the dramatic event that saw the rise of modern animal life and formed the foundation for all animal ecosystems – an event as fascinating as it is mysterious – the Cambrian Explosion! In the news: brand new armored dinosaurs, a long-lost dino-baby, surprises from the human family tree, and snake fossils from our favorite fossil site! Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion: 00:37:30 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 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

This episode topic comes from a fan request! We’re discussing how lessons from our planet’s prehistoric record can guide our efforts to preserve modern ecosystems: this is the field of conservation paleontology. In the news: sword-tailed sea scorpions, finding ancient DNA without fossils, climate change during the end-Pleistocene extinction, and (maybe) the oldest humans in North America! Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:30 Main discussion: 00:31:00 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 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/common-descent/the-common-descent-podcast The Podcast music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.