The Common Descent Podcast

Sometimes, an animal just needs to power down and wait. Many animals exhibit some form of torpor, including the long-term dormancy of hibernation. This episode, we explore how these species adjust the...

1 Sep 20242h 22min

Eels are long-bodied fish found in a variety of aquatic habitats, famous for their unusual body plans, distinctive life cycles, and occasional anatomical oddities like extra jaws. This episode, we’re ...

18 Aug 20241h 53min

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This episode, another returning guest: Meredith Johnson, host of Origin...

7 Aug 20241h 12min

Some animals are specialists at eating particularly tough foods like shells, seeds, and bones. Adaptations for a durophagous diet come in many forms in almost all major groups of life. This episode, w...

4 Aug 20242h 12min

Boas and pythons include some of the most famous snake species on Earth, renowned for their incredible tropical diversity, their often beautiful scale patterns, and their often impressive size. This e...

21 Jul 20242h 29min

Leaves. They’re everywhere. They’re the main photosynthesizing organs of plants, and they’re the main source of green on our green-and-blue planet. Leaves come in a truly dizzying variety of shapes, s...

7 Jul 20243h 4min

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. Joining us for this episode is Travis Holland, host of Fossils and Fict...

3 Jul 20241h 2min

Happy Croc Month! Alligators and caimans are the living members of the family Alligatoridae. In this episode, we explore how the gator lineage differs from other crocs, and we’ll dive into the fossil ...

23 Jun 20242h 28min