Join us as this week The Natural Selection Presents... Butterflies! (and moths). In this episode, we learned all about some beautiful butterflies and marvelous moths. We explored coevolution with flowers, dazzling displays, and some butterflies brought back from the brink of extinction. Listen now to find out more. Thanks for listening and please like and share if you enjoyed this episode. Species mentioned in this episode are listed below. Mallards Fruit flies Anole lizards – lizards in the genus Anolis Fixed front fangs -Taipans - snakes in the genus Oxyuranus in the elapid family Crab eating water snake – (Fordonia leucobalia) Lepidoptera Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) Painted lady (Vanessa cardui) Morgan's sphinx moth (Xanthopan morganii) Large Blue (Phengaris arion) Red ant (Myrimica sabuleti) European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) Silk worm (Bombyx mori) Wild silk moth (Bombyx mandarina) - The butterfly mentioned by Nabakov in the excerpt from Speak, memory Anarta cordigera
The Natural Selection returns to talk about Grasslands! Listen now and learn how to name a Gorilla, How high a bison can jump, and where to find a cheetah. In This Episode We talk about: News: Giraffes Dung Beetles Microgastrinae Wasps Theme: Poaceae/Grasses - Wheat, Rice and Bamboo Insects of the steppe and prairie - Beetles, ants, mites, springtails, flies and earthworms. The Great Migration - Blue Wildebeest, Zebra Grasslands of Iran - Asiatic Cheetah, manul cat, lynx, wolves, common fox, cape hare, goitered gazelle and Latifi's viper. Sapiens: Homo Sapiens and wheat.
This week the Natural Selection found out it's not easy being green.. well not if you’re a mammal anyway. This week we talked all about the colour green and how and why some animals and most plants are green. Why aren’t there any green mammals? How does chlorophyll work? What is that green bird in Hyde park? Listen now to find out more! Next week we're going to take a small break but we'll be back on the 3rd of August. Thanks for listening
This week The Natural Selection got tangled up in the complex world of food webs. From the global ocean food web to the complex biota in a termite's gut, understanding food webs is vital to allow us to recognise the impact we can have on them. In this week's episode, we explored why an ecologist was throwing starfish in the 60s and how wolves brought more songbirds back to Yellowstone. Listen now to find out more. Please follow and share if you enjoyed this episode.
The Natural Selection is back - and this week we are talking all about Dinosaurs! Listen now and learn why T-Rex would make terrible podcasters, why Naomi hates Hollywood, and which 15 million years gets palaeontologists most excited.
This week's episode got deep as the Natural Selection explored the depths of the oceans. We discussed the challenges faced by the unique and bizarre animals found near the bottom of the ocean. From the aptly named "terrible-claw lobster" to giant squids we learnt about adaptations deep sea creatures have evolved. Marine snow, zombie worms, mysterious purple orbs, glowing gonads… this episode has them all! Listen now to find out more. If you enjoyed this episode, please like and share!
The Natural Selection is back! Listen now and learn how to become a queen, why it might be useful to be 80% as big as a clown fish, and what finds their parents' skin… delicious.
This week the Natural Selection came out of their shells. We explored the wonderful variety of protective coatings and armour animals have, from snails to turtles (with the gentle giant glyptodon in between). Why did some cephalopods lose their shells? Why are bird eggs and reptile eggs different? Listen now to find out the answer to these big questions (and many more)! If you enjoyed this episode, please like and share.
The Natural Selection is back! Listen now and hear why aye-aye die, to better understand a panda hand, and whether you can (or should!) persue a kangaroo.
In this week's episode we went back to the beginning… From the origin of the binomial naming system, we learned why Swedish spiders are truly exceptional. We shed some light on the causes behind (and evolutionary history of) those pesky hiccups. We also explored the origins of some tasty food and drink. Listen now to find out more. Please like, share and follow if you enjoyed this episode!
Inspired by spring weather this week, the Natural Selection discussed growth. We really blossomed and found the light as we learned about plant phototropism and we reached new heights as we explored just how bamboo grows so fast. Listen now to find out why giants would have serious leg problems, and if you enjoyed this episode, you can help us grow our podcast by liking and sharing our show!
This week, the Natural Selection was not playing it safe: we explored the thrilling topic of danger. We shook with fear as we learned about rattlesnakes, saltwater crocodiles, and the most infamous man-eating tiger that ever lived. Listen now to learn how animals signal and startle their way out of dangerous situations—but don't worry, we won't bite ;)
The Natural Selection is back! This week, the only way is up as we talk all about climbing! Listen and find out which snake is the absolute cutest, why climbing waterfalls turns one fish's frown upside down, and why you should probably leave that baby sloth alone. Please like, rate, share, subscribe, whatever you feel like, as it helps us reach new listeners and spread the nature love!
This week's episode had a real sting to it, as the Natural Selection talks all about toxins! Learn why you shouldn't smoke (even if you're stung by a snail), why Komodo Dragons don't have dirty mouths, and how some witches might just be moldy bread!
The Natural Selection is back (remember us?), and this week we present... memory! Listen and find out why a slime mould might have a better job than you, which one of us was attacked by corvids, and what we don't know about starfish.
Hello Listeners! This week, the Natural Selection does convergent evolution—how living things independently evolve similar traits. Listen now and hear about the world’s most terrifying newt, which bird is a little bit like Elvis, and the answer to the question everyone has been dying to know: can pandas taste umami?
This week the Natural Selection explored the frozen depths of the ice ages. Inspired by the frosty January weather, we looked at time periods when ice and snow extended far beyond the poles. We uncovered mammoth facts about megafauna and extinctions. Join us as we discuss snowball earth, our winter wardrobes, and (sort of) sabre-tooth cats. It would be brrrilliant if you shared the episode if you listened and enjoyed it!
Hello Listeners! As Christmas comes to an end and the new year approaches, the Natural Selection gather to share all the facts they couldn't squeeze into any other episode. Holiday grab bag! We don't know what each of us are going to choose to talk about, so join us for some Christmassy mystery!
This week the Natural Selection dig deep to explore the hidden depths of caves. In this weeks episode, the trio discuss some wonderful caves from around the world, adaptations to life in caves and how early humans left their mark in caves. Take a journey with us through caves and etymological origins and uncover some fantastic and perhaps horrifying cave dwellers... oh and watch out for the snakes.
The Natural Selection doesn't like to get negative but this week our theme went subzero. Inspired by the cooling weather we fished out some icy facts about how animals cope with low temperatures. Chill out and listen to us chat about maple syrup, frozen frogs, and why ice is so nice. If you enjoy this episode please like and share. Check out our website thenaturalselection.net for some extra content and links to our social media.