The Common Descent Podcast

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 amphi...

2 Juli 20171h 40min

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 ...

18 Juni 20171h 31min

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 ha...

10 Juni 201724min

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!...

4 Juni 20171h 33min

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 Cam...

21 Maj 20171h 36min

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 pa...

7 Maj 20171h 26min

In this episode, we are joined by special guest Ethan Fulwood! He shares with us the fascinating diversity and evolutionary history of a familiar group of mammals called Primates. In the news: an anci...

23 Apr 20171h 27min

On this episode, we’re discussing one of nature’s most incredible inventions: flight – who has it, how do they do it, and most mysteriously, how did it evolve? In the news: Dinosaur footprints; tyrann...

9 Apr 20171h 34min