The Common Descent Podcast

E. D. Cope is one of the most recognizable and notorious names in paleontology history. He did some of the most important early work in vertebrate paleontology, he was one half of the dueling duo in the infamous Bone Wars, he named some of the most famous fossil animals, and he was profoundly irresponsible and unethical with his science. This episode, we’re joined by Astrid Lundberg to explore the life and legacy of Edward Cope, investigating such questions as: How did he get his start? What lasting contributions did he make to paleontology? And what was wrong with this guy? In the news: giant small pterosaurs, plesiosaur skin, bat teeth, and African isotopes. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:50 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:44:15 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:36:10 Patron question: 02:26:30 Find Astrid as OddPride on TikTok and BlueSky and Astrid_Lundberg on Instagram and YouTube. And you can support her at www.patreon.com/OddPride Resources: California Fire Foundation: https://www.cafirefoundation.org/ TransLifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 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

The evolution of mineralized tissues is responsible not only for the incredible success and diversity of vertebrate animals, but also for their extraordinarily informative fossil record. This episode, we explore the detailed anatomy of bones and their deep evolutionary history, we touch on some of the ways they’re important for paleontology, and we take some time to discuss the secrets that can be found inside of ancient bones. In the news: croc vs pterosaur, hominin diets, ears and gills, and reptile food. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:08:45 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:26:00 Patron question: 02:12:45 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 new series, Briks with Bask! https://youtu.be/5JQEDeNwVS0 Fill out our Listener Survey here: https://forms.gle/8h1gBtTRhgun55BZ6 Listen to us on Gaming With Science: https://www.gamingwithscience.net/e/s2e01-holotype-paleontology/ Rewatch our 8-Year Anniversary Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/N7ZJFNazP6E 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

You might know them as ghost sharks, rat fish, or spook fish. Chimaeras are close cousins of sharks and rays, equipped with distinctive and unusual features in their fins, teeth, and reproductive structures. In today’s oceans, chimaeras are rare and easy to miss, but their extended family includes some of the most diverse and iconic fish of the Paleozoic seas. In this episode, we’ll explore the traits that set chimaeras apart, we’ll take a tour through their ancient relatives, and we’ll investigate what their most famous cousins were doing with their strange spiral rows of teeth. In the news: Baltic herrings, Cambrian arms race, pterosaur tails, and early dinosaurs. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:35 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:25 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:16:45 Patron question: 02:20:00 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

Southern Africa is home to an incredible sequence of geologic formations that span more than 100 million years of Earth history. These rocks, collectively called the Karoo Supergroup, are an extraordinary resource for studying evolution and extinction across the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic Eras. This episode, we’ll explore the deep history of this vast geologic resource, and we’ll sample some of the discoveries that have been made there. In the news: dormancy evolution, Pangaean amphibians, regeneration genes, and Neanderthal fossil collectors. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:03:55 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:04:30 Patron question: 01:33:30 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

Happy New Year! Welcome back to our annual, traditional question-answering marathon! As always, a big thank you to everyone who submitted questions for this Q&A, everyone who has listened and shared and engaged with us throughout the year, and especially to our Patrons, who make this podcast possible. See you in 2025! Check out our website for our 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

Most theropod dinosaurs are sleek predators built for speedy movement and efficient hunting. Therizinosaurs are unusual. They’re slow and stocky and, in many ways, more like the famous plant-eating dinosaurs. This episode, we’ll explore the diversity of therizinosaurs, the winding path that paleontologists took to understand them, the many ways they became specialized for a diet of plants, and what was going on with those claws. In the news: Parasaurolophus crests, Scottish bears, anglerfish evolution, and Clovis diets. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:30 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:46:45 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:14:20 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 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

Evolution involves the innovation of new features, but even more reduction of old features. Those reduced features might disappear, develop in a new direction, or just linger as a functionless evidence of deep ancestry. This episode, we explore how we identify vestigial traits, how they help us understand evolutionary history, and the various evolutionary paths vestigial structures can take. In the news: giant worm lizards, drumstick evolution, dinosaur poop, and pterosaur transitions. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:45 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:22:30 Patron question: 01:56:50 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

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. It’s the final episode! And we’re thrilled to be joined by Kallie, Gabriel, and Blake from PBS Eons and their podcast, Eons: Surviving Deep Time! Find Eons here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eons-surviving-deep-time/id1610360633 https://www.youtube.com/@eons Find Kallie online at @fossil_librarian and www.kallielmoore.com Kallie’s book, Tales of the Prehistoric World: https://neonsquidbooks.com/books/tales-of-the-prehistoric-world/ Why Dinosaurs? https://www.whydinosaurs.com/ Find Gabriel online at @PaleoParadox and @CosplayForScience Find Cosplay for Science at www.cosplayforscience.com Find Blake online as @WesternDigs Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent 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/ We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Not all plants rely on the sun for their energy. Thousands of species are adapted for stealing nutrients from other plants. This episode, Aly joins us to explore the diversity and evolution of parasitic plants, their varied lifestyles, and their impacts on their hosts. We also examine the surprising nature of the parasitic plant fossil record. In the news: a frozen sabertooth kitten, plesiosaur swimming, wing evolution, and dinosaur body armor. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:45 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:54:20 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:33:20 Patron question: 02:10:30 Follow Aly online at @PaleoLorax 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

Around six million years ago, the Mediterranean Sea dried up, wreaking havoc with local marine life and leaving a dramatic legacy in the geologic record in the form of massive salt deposits. This episode, we’ll explore the evidence for this event, why it happened, how it ended, and the impact it left in the fossil record. In the news: marine crocs, giant cicadas, giant tadpoles, and drowning bats. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:04:25 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:42:35 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:09:35 Patron question: 02:02:15 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

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This time, we’re hanging out with Amy and Meaghan from Weird & Dead! Find Weird & Dead here: www.weirdanddead.com www.patreon.com/WeirdandDeadPodcast More from Amy and Meaghan: www.meaghanwetherell.com www.geopetalfabric.com  https://dinosaurtrips.com/all-women-jurassic-coast/ Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent 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/ We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome … to Cute-E! Every October during Spook-E, we have fun speculatively evolving monsters from myths and stories, but we leave out the cuddlier side of fiction. In Cute-E, we’re choosing kinder creatures and discussing how they – or something like them - could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Tiny Monsters. This episode, we look at a local legend. How might real-world evolution result in elusive and mysterious rabbits with antlers? Our creatures to create this time: Jackalopes. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Mice, rats, beavers, and more! Rodents are some of the most diverse and successful mammals on the planet. This episode, we discuss what traits make rodents special, and we explore their incredible living diversity. Then we’ll take a trip to the past to investigate early rodent evolution, some highlights of their fossil record, and some of their ancient competitors. In the news: Arthropleura’s head, raptorial birds, dinosaur eggs, and evolution education. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:50 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:25 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:28:15 Patron question: 02:14:25 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

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Tiny Monsters. This episode, there’s trouble afoot. How could biological processes generate ornery little fiends with gruesome headgear? Our creatures to create this time: Redcaps. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Tiny Monsters. This episode, things heat up a bit. What selective pressures might lead to the evolution of skittering creatures with a fondness for fire? Our creatures to create this time: the mythical Salamanders. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

It’s the final part of our fungal trilogy! Fungi and animals interact in a wide variety of ways, from parasitism to partnership to predation. This episode, we explore how fungi and animals have evolved alongside each other and the adaptations they have developed to take advantage of each other, and we’ll examine how far back we can find these fungus-animal interactions in the fossil record. In the news: pterosaur feet, sauropod tails, a Cretaceous crater, and fossil fireflies. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:13:20 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:44:10 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:35:15 Patron question: 02:42:00 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

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Tiny Monsters. This episode, we explore a favorite of fanciful fables. How might natural selection produce diminutive humanoids with a knack for mischief and mayhem? Our creatures to create this time: Fairies. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Tiny Monsters. This episode, we’ve chosen a modern classic. How might we evolve adorable fluffy critters that transform into dangerous troublemakers? Our creatures to create this time: Gremlins. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast More ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/ We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This episode, we’re joined by one of the longest-running paleo-podcast hosts around: Dave Marshall from Palaeocast! Find Palaeocast here: https://www.palaeocast.com/ Connect with Common Descent: https://linktr.ee/common_descent 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/ We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Our fungal celebration continues! The relationship between fungi and plants is one of the most famous and consequential connections in biological history. This episode, Aly is here to help us explore how fungi and plants work together and work against each other, what we know about the deep history of their relationship, and how fungi and plants together have shaped the world as we know it. Fungi will return… In the news: toothy birds, polar forests, coelacanth evolution, and a Pennsylvanian lagerstatte. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:35 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:36:40 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:40:15 Patron question: 02:40:30 Follow Aly online at @PaleoLorax And go check out Flora Funga Podcast at www.florafungapodcast.com and on social media at @florafungapodcast 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