Jonathan Lambert

So it could mean that those early steps of evolution might be kind of easy. Yeah, and that on Earth, it didn't take all that long to go from some self-replicating thing snapping into being to a Luca like the one painted here.

So it could mean that those early steps of evolution might be kind of easy. Yeah, and that on Earth, it didn't take all that long to go from some self-replicating thing snapping into being to a Luca like the one painted here.

So it could mean that those early steps of evolution might be kind of easy. Yeah, and that on Earth, it didn't take all that long to go from some self-replicating thing snapping into being to a Luca like the one painted here.

And if it wasn't so hard for complex life to evolve here on Earth, that might mean that it's not so hard on other planets either.

And if it wasn't so hard for complex life to evolve here on Earth, that might mean that it's not so hard on other planets either.

And if it wasn't so hard for complex life to evolve here on Earth, that might mean that it's not so hard on other planets either.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

This episode was produced by Burleigh McCoy, who we're so happy to have back from parental leave. It was edited by our showrunner, Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

This episode was produced by Burleigh McCoy, who we're so happy to have back from parental leave. It was edited by our showrunner, Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

This episode was produced by Burleigh McCoy, who we're so happy to have back from parental leave. It was edited by our showrunner, Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Gilly Moon.

And I'm Jonathan Lambert.

And I'm Jonathan Lambert.

And I'm Jonathan Lambert.

Studying bat migration is tricky since bats are small and fly only at night. A new study published in Science used special trackers, essentially tiny bat backpacks, that connect to wireless networks. The trackers allowed researchers to watch the migrations of a species called the noctual bat across Central Europe and measure climate data.

Studying bat migration is tricky since bats are small and fly only at night. A new study published in Science used special trackers, essentially tiny bat backpacks, that connect to wireless networks. The trackers allowed researchers to watch the migrations of a species called the noctual bat across Central Europe and measure climate data.

The study found that bats time their departure to leave just before a storm comes through. Surfing storm tailwinds can make the bat's migration, which can span hundreds of miles, a little bit easier. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

The study found that bats time their departure to leave just before a storm comes through. Surfing storm tailwinds can make the bat's migration, which can span hundreds of miles, a little bit easier. Jonathan Lambert, NPR News.

In Australia, a biologist discovered a fluffy longhorn beetle covered in spindly white hairs. Researchers in Madagascar described an orchid with a foot-long nectar spur. And divers in Japan discovered a new species of sea squirt that looks like a panda bear wearing a skeleton Halloween costume. There was even a frog who lives its whole life in a tree leaf.