Common Descent

20/08/2024

We’re going to be at DragonCon 2024!

Come see Will and David as part of these panels and events!

Which one are you most excited for?

Full details on our website: https://commondescentpodcast.com/dragoncon/

19/08/2024

News from Episode 198:

Incredible rock outcrops in Angola document the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean.

Rocks and fossils found in Angola by an SMU-led research team offer an unparalleled view of the formation of the South Atlantic Ocean, illustrating the split of South America and Africa that began about 140 million years ago. A research team led by Southern Methodist University (SMU) has discover

19/08/2024

News from Episode 198:

New species of marine croc is among the latest of its kind.

Paleontologists have described a new genus and species of metriorhynchid crocodylomorph from the Stadthagen Formation of north-western Germany.

19/08/2024

News from Episode 198:

Plant fossils provide new clues to what happened when the Australian Plate met the Asian Plate.

Ancient fossil beans about the size of modern limes, and among the largest seeds in the fossil record, may provide new insight into the evolution of today's diverse Southeast Asian and Australian rainforests, according to Penn State researchers who identified the plants.

19/08/2024

News from Episode 198:

It turns out smaller brains aren't unique to domestic dogs.

A recent study by László Zsolt Garamszegi from the Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary, and Niclas Kolm from the Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Sweden, challenges the long-held notion that domestication is the primary driver of reduced...

18/08/2024

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeels

Listen to Episode 198 on PodBean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! These are famously long-bodied fish with a knack for complex environments, an unusual life cycl…

13/08/2024

Next week, on Episode 198...

07/08/2024

Spotlight 2024 continues!

In the newest episode (out today!), we chat with Meredith from Origin Stories about science communication, storytelling, and more!

Spotlight episodes are releasing on the first Wednesday of each month on Common Descent!
https://linktr.ee/common_descent

05/08/2024

News from Episode 197:

This well-preserved Cambrian arthropod seems to have been a large, swimming filter feeder.

This shrimp-like arthropod was among the first to have a mandible, and it used a complex feeding mechanism during the Cambrian explosion, according to a new study

05/08/2024

News from Episode 197:

Experiments show what sort of traces we might expect to see on birds eaten by Neanderthals.

Scientists set out to replicate ancient cooking methods.

05/08/2024

News from Episode 197:

Research on mudskippers reveals some soft tissue adaptations for walking on land.

Okinawa’s mangrove forests are home to many animal species, from crabs to kingfishers; they host a diverse ecosystem teeming with life. Among the quirkier residents living there is “Minami-Tobihaze” — the barred mudskipper. “They are fish, but they can walk and live par...

05/08/2024

News from Episode 197:

This new species of fossil boa from Wyoming is known from several complete skeletons.

Paleontologists have described a new species of snake from the Early Oligocene of Wyoming based on four nearly complete and articulated specimens found curled together in a burrow.

04/08/2024

Chomp chomp

Listen to Episode 197 on PodBean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Lots of animals are specially adapted for eating tough foods: seeds, shells, bones, etc. This e…

31/07/2024

Next week, on Episode 197...

22/07/2024

News from Episode 196:

It turns out not all snakes strike the same way, and how they strike is related to the shape of their teeth.

Using high-speed video, herpetologist Bill Ryerson filmed snakes attacking dead rodents and found species fit into two broad categories: strikers and lungers.

22/07/2024

News from Episode 196:

This ancient croc-cousin comes from the coastline of the ocean that surrounded Pangaea.

The surprising discovery of a new species of extinct crocodile relative from the Triassic Favret Formation of Nevada, USA, rewrites the story of life along the coasts during the first act of the Age of Dinosaurs. The new species Benggwigwishingasuchus eremicarminis reveals that while giant ichthyosa...

22/07/2024

News from Episode 196:

This new species of dinosaur isn't just the oldest known member of its lineage, it also might have been a burrower.

A newly discovered ancestor of Thescelosaurus shows evidence that these animals spent at least part of their time in underground burrows. The new species contributes to a fuller understanding of life during the mid-Cretaceous – both above and below ground.

22/07/2024

News from Episode 196:

This giant, salamander-like tetrapod from Permian Namibia is among the largest animals of its time.

Giant salamander-like predator that lived 40 million years before the first dinosaurs had huge fangs and sucked up prey with its weird head.

21/07/2024

Happy Snake Month!

Listen to Episode 196 on PodBean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Two groups of snakes include some the most famous and most awesome species on the planet. This …

16/07/2024

Snake Stream starting now!

Happy Snake Month!All throughout July, we're celebrating Snake Month! Themed podcast episodes, a special Discord channel, livestreams, and more!The Snakes & ...

15/07/2024

Our Snake Month Livestream is TOMORROW!

Tuesday, July 16th at 7pm ET on YouTube!
Join here: https://youtube.com/live/Y7mtBspT3YQ

11/07/2024

It's Snake Month! And that means the Snakes & Crocs Tier is available ONLY this month!

Patrons at this Tier get a bunch of goodies AND subscriptions at this Tier contribute to charitable donations we'll be making toward reptile conservation!

It's a great way to support us AND our favorite scaly critters.

patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

09/07/2024

Join us for a Snake Month Livestream!

We'll be celebrating Snake Month and World Snake Day and just snakes in general!

Tuesday, July 16th at 7pm ET!
https://www.youtube.com/live/Y7mtBspT3YQ

08/07/2024

News from Episode 195:

Soft tissues in ancient fish reveal a major step in the evolution of fish brains.

A new discovery suggests the evolution of ray-finned fish brains is far more complex than previously believed.

08/07/2024

News from Episode 195:

Some researchers challenge the popular idea of ancient myths inspired by dinosaur fossils.

A new study challenges the theory that dinosaur fossils inspired the legend of the mythological creature, the gryphon.

08/07/2024

News from Episode 195:

Lokiceratops, named for its curved frill horns, reveals a pattern of unexpected diversity of horned dinosaurs in North America.

The fossilized remains of a new horned dinosaur have just been discovered in the mountains of Montana.

08/07/2024

News from Episode 195:

Parvosuchus, a new small croc-cousin from Brazil, expands the known diversity of early pseudosuchians.

Fossil dating back 237 million years shows reptile diversity before the Age of the Dinosaurs.

07/07/2024

Leave it to Aly!

Listen to Episode 195 on PodBean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! They are the main photosynthesizing organs of plants and the basis for ecosystems all over our …

03/07/2024

Hey listen! A new episode of Spotlight 2024 is out today!

This episode, we chat with Travis from Fossils and Fiction! Tune in for a discussion about science communication, podcasting, and paleontology.

Spotlight episodes are releasing on the first Wednesday of each month on Common Descent!
https://linktr.ee/common_descent