The Biologic Podcast

Welcome to the Biologic Podcast, an audio exploration of the incredible world of living things. The journey begins at the dawn of life, almost 4 billion years ago. In this ancient eon, biochemical reactions gave rise to ordered systems (the cell) capable of replication. The key to this replication is the genome, and the DNA itself. At this point, the journey expands in scope; we will explore the process of evolution, then move through hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary history until we come to the modern day, to survey the modern world's biodiversity. Then we'll take a step back to look at the ecological interactions of all this life, and the resulting biomes that define the surface of our planet Earth. Our journey through the biological realm takes a sudden turn; having learned about life at the grandest scale, we now return to the ground, to look in greater detail at the various organisms that share this world with us. We first explore the physiology & diversity of plants, and then same for the fungi. Moving from flora to fauna, we explore the physiology & diversity of animals, up to and including the human being. The path is long and the lessons hard, but for the ever-curious listener, there are many great discoveries and insights to be had in the world of the biological.

Episode 123 - Malacostraca II - Astacidea - The Lobsters and Crayfish

Welcome to Episode 123! Today we move deeper into the Malacostraca by exploring the Astacidea, the lobsters and crayfish, as well as their many relatives.

08-15
49:20

Episode 122 - Malacostraca I - The Shrimp, Krill, & Relatives

Welcome to Episode 122! Today, we'll begin our exploration of the large and diverse clade Malacostraca, which includes the shrimp, lobsters, and crabs. We'll start with the earliest branches and offshoot groups, many of which, like the krill, have become widespread, abundant, and critically important for global ecosystems.

07-15
01:08:35

Episode 121 - Early Crustacean Evolution

Welcome to Episode 121! Today we are introducing a new series on the crustaceans! In today's show, we'll dive into the early evolutionary history of the crustaceans, and take a closer look at a handful of the most basal groups in the clade. 

06-15
47:13

Episode 120 - Humans & Myriapods

Hello and welcome to Episode 120! Today we'll be wrapping up our series on the myriapods by looking at the long historical relationship between humans and our many-legged friends. From prehistorical mythology to the cutting edge of modern day technology, myriapods have quietly achieved a unique kind of cultural significance. 

05-15
41:57

Episode 119 - Chilopoda - The Centipedes

Welcome to Episode 119! Today we will take a closer look at the class Chilopoda, also known as the centipedes. These are a uniquely predatory group of myriapods, with many fascinating adaptations for their ecological niche. 

04-15
46:38

Episode 118 - Diplopoda - The Millipedes

Welcome to Episode 118! In today's show, we return our focus to the myriapods by examining one of the more well-known groups, the millipedes of Diplopoda. They are a curious branch of arthropods, with many fascinating traits and behaviors that may seem otherwordly in their strangeness, or uncanny in their familiarity. 

03-15
48:16

Episode 117 - The Soil Biome

Welcome to Episode 117! In today's special episode, we'll be stepping back from the myriapods to examine the soil biome itself. We will explore all aspects of the soil, from its material composition and chemical qualities, to its ecological role as a foundational substrate for life. This episode will transform the way you think about the dirt under your feet, and pull back the curtain to reveal the incredible biological activity thrumming along just under the surface. 

02-15
02:40:50

Episode 116 - Pauropoda & Symphyla

Welcome to Episode 116! Today we will take a look at some of the smallest terrestrial creatures, some of the most obscure myriapods, oft left unseen as they crawl around in the soil. 

01-15
43:05

Episode 115 - Early Myriapod Evolution

Welcome to Episode 115! Today we're beginning a new series about the myriapods, those cryptic and classic creepy crawlies that dwell in the soils of the world. In this episode, we'll begin with a broad overview of the evolution and diversification of the myriapods. 

12-15
40:15

Episode 114 - Humans & Arachnids

Welcome to Episode 114! In today's show, we'll wrap up our series on the arachnids by exploring their relationship with humans, from our evolution and prehistory, to the modern day. In human cultural lore, arachnids are nuanced and complex entities. They have inspired many technologies, their biochemistry has provided many medicinal chemicals, and their influence on human culture and experience has been profound. 

11-15
45:14

Episode 113 - Araneae II - Araneomorphae

Welcome to Episode 113! We're finishing up the two-part mini-series on the true spiders of Araneae with this in-depth look at the Araneomorphae. This group comprises the vast majority of modern spiders, and demonstrates a bewildering degree of biodiversity and ecological contribution. 

10-16
51:20

Episode 112 - Araneae I - Early Spider Evolution - Mesothelae & Mygalomorphae

Welcome to Episode 112! Today's show will explore the early evolution of the true spiders, their anatomy and physiology, and the life strategies and behavior of early spider groups like the Mesothelae and Mygalomorphae. This is part 1 in the Araneae mini-series; part 2 will explore the Araneomorphae. 

09-14
58:07

Episode 111 - Scorpiones - The Scorpions & Relatives

In today's show, we'll take a look at the infamous scorpion, as well as several of its near relatives. It will be an exciting adventure in the life of a scorpion or scorpion-like creature, as they scuttle along in deserts or forests, using their claws or venomous tail to attack prey. These are incredible, charismatic and cryptic creatures, representing a modern scientific frontier waiting to be studied. 

08-15
55:08

Episode 110 - Acariformes & Parasitiformes

Hello and welcome to Episode 110! Today we will explore the anatomy, lifestyle and ecology of two major arachnid groups; the acariformes and the parasitiformes, more commonly known as the mites and the ticks. Although they're most well known for the handful of groups that parasitize animals and sometimes even eat blood, most of them are herbivores whose collective consumption and metabolic activity plays a critical ecological role.

07-15
56:25

Episode 109 - Early Arachnid Evolution

Welcome to Episode 109! Today's episode is an important one. It marks the beginning of our four part mega series on the arthropods. In this first part, we introduce the most basal arthropod clade, the arachnids, and explore their evolutionary origins. We'll look at the ecological challenges they faced, and the friends and relatives they made along the way. Today's show will set the stage for the rest of the arachnids we'll look at in upcoming episodes, and the rest of the arthropods that we'll explore in the later parts of this mega series. 

06-16
48:11

Episode 108 - Humans & Molluscs

Welcome to Episode 108! Today we'll be exploring the unique and diverse relationships that humans have with the many types of molluscs that share this world with us. They are part of our myths and legends, they are sources of food and medicines, and they've inspired countless technologies. We have a surprisingly close relationship with these most alien-like of Earthly creatures. 

06-01
46:09

Episode 107 - Cephalopoda II - Coleoidea - The Squid, Cuttlefish, and Octopus

Welcome to Episode 107! This is part 2 in a 2-part series on the cephalopods. Today we will explore the evolutionary history of the coleoids, a "recent" branch of cephalopod. We will also examine their alien anatomy, their unusual life cycle, and their shockingly sophisticated intelligence. 

05-16
51:49

Episode 106 - Cephalopoda I - Nautiloidea - The Nautiluses

Welcome to Episode 106! This show is part 1 in a 2-part series on the cephalopods. Today we will explore the evolutionary history of the cephalopods, and take a closer look at the physiology and life cycle of the descendants of the strange, basal lineage of nautiloids.

04-15
45:23

Episode 105 - Gastropods - Slugs and Snails

Welcome to Episode 105! Today we'll be exploring the wild world of gastropods, including their unique and bizarre physiology, as well as their even more bizarre reproductive strategies. It'll be a thoroughly entertaining and provocative episode, exploring the biology of a quiet, innocuous, and infinitely weird group of invertebrates. 

03-15
45:45

Louis Tinya Wollweber

(oh, no comments out here?!?) You must be a biology teacher of some sort for sure! The wealth of information with all the complexity of the subject and the way it is presented can't come from someone who just happen to have an amateur interest in the subject. This is somebody who has a firm knowledge of the subject he is talking about. And believe me, you convey the information much better than my biology teacherS back then! Keep up the great work!

06-03 Reply

Recommend Channels