The Common Descent Podcast

Forests are among the most widespread and diverse biomes on our planet. This episode, we’re joined by our favorite paleobotanist, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, to explore what defines a forest, how these habitats function, and how they differ around the globe. Then, we’ll take a trip into the past to discuss how paleontologists study ancient forests and how these biomes have changed over hundreds of millions of years. In the news: ocean sediments, early penguins, island foxes, Canadian dragonflies, and ancient deer. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:47:10 Patron question: 02:48:35 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Listen to more Plants with Aly on Leaf it to Us! https://commondescentpodcast.com/leaf-it-to-us/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Subscribe to Curiosity Box using our Affiliate Link: https://www.curiositybox.com/CommonDescent And get 25% off the first box with code descent25 Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Most vertebrate animals on land get around on all fours, but some of us have committed to two-legged locomotion. This episode, we explore the various ways animals have evolved bipedalism and the many benefits that come with it. We’ll also take a look at how we identify bipedal animals in the fossil record, and we’ll zoom in on the evolutionary story behind Earth history’s most successful bipeds. In the news: potato origins, trilobite legs, bone worm burrows, and australopithecine sexes. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:35 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:15 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:10:50 Patron question: 02:05:55 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Subscribe to Curiosity Box using our Affiliate Link: https://www.curiositybox.com/CommonDescent And get 25% off the first box with code descent25 Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Mutation. It is the key to our evolution. As our cells constantly divide and reproduce and replicate our DNA, errors and inconsistencies develop, leading to the incredible variation of life that drives evolutionary change. This episode, we explore the genetic mechanisms behind mutation and we discuss how scientists study mutations to understand the evolutionary history of life on Earth. In the news: Neanderthal tools, caiman food, dancing dinosaurs, and ancient integument. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:09:25 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:50 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:35:00 Patron question: 02:28:55 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

On the outside, shrews might seem like standard tiny mammals, but their anatomy and lifestyle are highly specialized. This episode, with help from special guest Derek den Ouden, we explore the diverse habits of shrews, the anatomical features that set them apart, and how they thrive worldwide despite being perpetually on the brink of starvation. Then, we consider the extinct diversity of shrews in the fossil record. In the news: stubborn bass, choking fish, tomato defenses, and some really old rocks. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:09:35 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:45:25 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:40:50 Patron question: 02:12:35 Find Derek online at @DenoudenDerek Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Check out our friends’ new data management app, Cnidarity: https://cnidarity.com/ Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0  

Lizards are extremely good at becoming snake-shaped. A long body with small or absent limbs is a shape that has evolved dozens of times across nearly every major lineage of lizards. This episode, we explore the diversity of leglessness in lizards, we discuss which groups have done it and which groups have done it best, and we examine what’s known about the repeated evolution of this unexpected body shape. In the news: giant dusky salamander, very early footprints, a Denisovan skull, a mammoth tusk boomerang, and night lizards. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:25 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:50 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:33:55 Patron question: 02:16:35 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Happy Disability Pride Month! AmeriDisability https://www.ameridisability.com/ National Disability Rights Network https://www.ndrn.org/ Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Today’s crocs are iconic semi-aquatic predators, but their extended family tree features lots of land-dwelling cousins. This episode, we take a tour through croc evolutionary history and explore the many times these reptiles have taken to life on dry land. We’ll examine what features these terrestrial crocs shared, which ones they didn’t, and what their fossils tell us about how the shape of crocs has changed over time. In the news: sauropod guts, Australian biomarkers, butterfly scales, and tropical archosaurs. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:25 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:44:20 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:23:20 Patron question: 02:17:25 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

For over 100 million years, North America and Asia have been connected over the Pacific Ocean through a region called Beringia. The comings and going of plants and animals across this connection have shaped ecosystems of the past and present. This episode, we explore the geologic history of the region and which ancient species have managed to live in and move through Beringia. In the news: early sperm whales, BC plesiosaurs, megatooth shark food, and Arctic nesting birds. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:09:10 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:25 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:02:15 Patron question: 01:40:40 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Some LGBTQIA+ organizations in the southeast US: Trans Aid Nashville: https://www.transaidnashville.org/ Out Memphis: https://www.outmemphis.org/ Southerners on New Ground: https://southernersonnewground.org Shoutout to Vic Michaelis for these links: www.instagram.com/vicmmic/ Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Take a deep breath and appreciate for a moment the organs that let you do it so efficiently. Lungs are an invaluable tool for life out of the water, and are therefore a favorite topic for paleontologists interested in early animals on land. This episode, we explore the diversity of modern lungs and the few but fascinating insights we have into the lungs of ancient animals, from dinosaurs to the first terrestrial vertebrates. In the news: trilobite sizes, polar forests, early footprints, and cicadas. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:50 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:31:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:21:35 Patron question: 02:05:35 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Listen to our new podcast, Leaf it to Us! https://linktr.ee/leafittouspod Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Bears are among the most charismatic and impressive mammals. They have large bodies, very flexible lifestyles, and an extensive fossil record that includes some of the best-preserved and largest fossil mammals of all time. This episode, we explore what makes bears so distinctive and successful, and how their diversity has changed over time. In the news: ancient alligators, rattlesnake venom, late land crocs, pterosaur tracks, and Caribbean crocodiles. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:45 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:43:25 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:28:25 Patron question: 02:12:25 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Listen to our new podcast, Leaf it to Us! https://linktr.ee/leafittouspod Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Just about every body of water on Earth, from oceans to puddles, is home to an ecosystem of tiny drifting organisms. This episode, we discuss what sorts of organisms we might expect to find in a swarm of plankton, we’ll explore how plankton is so fundamental to biological and geological systems on Earth, and we’ll take some time to lay out some of the many ways that ancient plankton are a crucial part of the fossil record. In the news: climbing reptiles, croc extinctions, Ashfall rhinos, and ankylosaur tracks. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:40 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:15 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:23:00 Patron question: 02:00:30 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Listen to Will talk speculative evolution on the Nerd Trek Podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NzdG8TMfwGLzpP8sKXHQA And listen to David talk de-extinction on the House of Pod https://open.spotify.com/show/3z6EgP0BzaHQoXzCtxQ32t Support links: ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/ Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore how science is portrayed on the big screen. This year, we’re focused on one recurring franchise: Planet of the Apes! Finally, we visit the ongoing prequel franchise with the story of how it all got started: Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

With several thousand living species, ferns are the second most diverse vascular plants around today, after angiosperms. Ferns are also abundant and well-known in the fossil record. This episode, Aly joins us to explore the dizzying variety of ferns and their ferny-friends, past and present. In the news: When the Earth Was Green, weird wasps, and ancient claws. And also dire wolves. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:20 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:46:45 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:37:00 Patron question: 02:20:40 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast When the Earth Was Green: https://bookshop.org/p/books/when-the-earth-was-green-plants-animals-and-evolution-s-greatest-romance-riley-black/21356911    https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781250354211-when-the-earth-was-green Find Riley at @restingdinoface.bsky.social And http://rileyblack.net/ Support links: Assigned Media: https://www.assignedmedia.org/ Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore how science is portrayed on the big screen. This year, we’re focused on one recurring franchise: Planet of the Apes! It’s the reboot of the original, a 21st-Century take on the concept – Planet of the Apes (2001). Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore how science is portrayed on the big screen. This year, we’re focused on one recurring franchise: Planet of the Apes! This episode, we begin where it began, with the original movie about a world where simian society is turned upside-down – Planet of the Apes (1968). Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Evolution just loves a nice pair of oversized canines, especially on mammalian predators. Saber-toothed animals have shown up over and over again – we even have some today – but despite their similarities, not all of these toothy species were using their canines the same way. This episode, we explore the various shapes of functions of saber teeth and the disparate lineages that have sported them. In the news: The Fossil Keeper’s Treasure, the size of megalodon, and vulture feathers. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:44:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:28:30 Patron question: 02:27:30 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast The Fossil Keeper’s Treasure: https://www.edelweiss.plus/#sku=1917044267&g=4400 Find Amy online at @MaryAnningsRevenge Support links: National Immigrant Justice Center: https://immigrantjustice.org Researcher Support Consortium: https://researchersupport.org/ Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Our high-level Patreon supporters get to request a topic for their very own mini-episode! For the sixth time, we’ve put the latest bunch together for everyone to enjoy! Thank you as always to our incredible Patrons of all levels for keeping the podcast going! Intro: 00:00:00 Ambulocetus for Ambulocetus – 00:01:45 Abelisaurs for Quinn – 00:18:30 Capybaras for Melissa – 00:41:22 Pelicans for Johnathan – 01:02:05 Pikas for Hana – 01:31:45 Wooly rhinos for Eric – 01:51:25 Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org. Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Leave a carcass or a log or a pile of poop out in the wild long enough and it will break down into its component parts. Decomposers are an often-overlooked but essential component of ecosystems past and present. This episode, we explore the varied processes of decomposition and how scientists study decomposers and use that information. We’ll also discuss the importance of decomposition to the fossil record, as well as how we can identify signs of decomposers from the distant past. In the news: temnospondyl extinction, hot crocs, foraging birds, narwhal tusks, and giant flying squirrels. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:55 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:44:45 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:28:05 Patron question: 02:12:30 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

After you’ve listened to the Leaf it to Us pilot episode, enjoy this follow-up discussion where Nora, Aly, and David share their thoughts about that first episode and the upcoming season of the new podcast. You can contact us – and find more from Common Descent – here: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “Late Bloomer” by Devours. Find more from Devours at http://devours.bandcamp.com

Enjoy this special preview of the upcoming podcast Leaf it to Us, hosted by Nora Spurling and Dr. Aly Baumgartner. In this pilot episode, they discuss the fascinating phenomenon of sex-changing trees! The first season of Leaf it to Us is in the works, and we’re excited to hear your feedback for this pilot episode. Please reach out to us and let us know what you think! You can contact us and find more from Common Descent here: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “Late Bloomer” by Devours. Find more from Devours at http://devours.bandcamp.com

When vertebrates first moved onto land, they gave rise to a variety of amphibious tetrapods. The most diverse and successful of these were temnospondyls, which were some of the most important species in early land and freshwater environments. This episode, we’ll explore temnospondyls’ evolutionary history, their ecological variety, and their mysterious connection to modern amphibians. In the news: domesticating dogs, early birds, color evolution, and changing seeds. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:35 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:32:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 00:53:15 Patron question: 01:32:30 Resources: Resources for Researchers and Scholars Under Threat in the US: https://www.nationalacademies.org/chr/committee-on-human-rights Erin in the Morning: https://www.erininthemorning.com/   Fill out our Listener Survey here: https://forms.gle/CSoZaCbGN2DsRLTR6 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0