The Common Descent Podcast

Episode 240 - Terror Birds

29 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For most of the Cenozoic Era, South America was home to an incredible group of predatory birds called phorusrhacids, which included some of the larges...

Episode 239 - Nocturnality

15 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Creatures of the night! The world is a different place in the dark, and a whole array of organisms have adapted to being most active outside of daytim...

Pok-É – Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza

07 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and spe...

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #7

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

One of the benefits our Patrons can receive is a personalized mini-episode on an animal of their choice! Every now and then, we throw them together in...

Episode 238 - Osteoderms (Skin Bones)

01 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Some bones are only skin deep! In many species of reptiles, mammals, and amphibians, bones called osteoderms develop within the skin, serving as body ...

Pok-É – Koraidon and Miraidon

28 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and spe...

Pok-É – Zygarde

21 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and spe...

Episode 237 - The Dinosaur Renaissance

15 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the mid-to-late 20th Century, dinosaurs received a major makeover in their scientific and popular image. This episode, Riley Black takes us through...

Pok-É – Giratina

14 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and spe...

Pok-É – Lugia

07 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and spe...

Episode 236 - Chalicotheres

01 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Cenozoic Era was home to many unusual ancient mammals, but few so strange as the “gorilla-horses,” the ungulates that swapped their hooves for...

Episode 235 - Aquatic Plants

18 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

All plants need water, but some take it to the extreme. This episode, Dr. Aly Baumgartner joins us to explore the many life strategies of plants that ...

Episode 234 - Snails and Slugs

04 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

From deep-sea trenches to your home garden, gastropods (snails and slugs) are among the most diverse and successful groups of animal life in Earth his...

End of the Year Q&A 2025

31 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! Please enjoy our annual question-answering marathon, now longer than ever! Thank you so much to everyone who listens, shares, and supp...

Episode 233 - Flies and Mosquitoes

21 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Of all the highly successful and capable flying insects in the world, few are as successful or capable as those in the order Diptera. This episode, we...

Episode 232 - Vertebrate Origins

07 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, bony animals are some of the most diverse organisms on Earth, but it wasn’t always that way. This episode, we explore what features distingui...

Episode 231 - Back to the Water (Secondarily Aquatic Vertebrates)

23 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly 400 million years ago, an unusual group of fish gave rise to the first land-dwelling vertebrates. Since then, their descendants have repeatedly...

Episode 230 - Pachycephalosaurs

09 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The dome-headed dinosaurs are some of the most iconic ancient reptiles, but they’re surprisingly unexplored compared to other dinos. This episode, w...

Silver Screen Science - Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this special guest episode of Silver Screen Science, we're joined by Sabrina and Garret of I Know Dino to discuss the science and scientists of the...

Cute-E – Pikmin

01 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome … to Cute-E! During our Spook-E series, we speculate on the evolution of monsters from myth and popular media, but we leave out fiction’s ...

Episode 229 - Myrmecophagy (Ant-Eating)

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Generally speaking, it’s not a good idea to mess with ants. But several lineages of animals have evolved to be ant-eating specialists. This episode,...

Spook-E – Metroids

25 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. Spook-E Season is back! All throughout October, we pick monsters from myth and media and speculate how they –...

Spook-E – Kremlings

18 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. Spook-E Season is back! All throughout October, we pick monsters from myth and media and speculate how they –...

Episode 228 - Dinosaur Provincial Park

12 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Located in southeastern Alberta is a stretch of gorgeous badlands that are home to some of the world’s absolute best Late Cretaceous fossils. This e...

Spook-E – Octoroks

11 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. Spook-E Season is back! All throughout October, we pick monsters from myth and media and speculate how they –...

Spook-E – Piranha Plants

04 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. Spook-E Season is back! All throughout October, we pick monsters from myth and media and speculate how they –...

Episode 227 - Beaks

28 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The faces of vertebrate animals are often soft and full of teeth, but there is a common alternative. Birds, turtles, and many more groups have develop...

Episode 226 - Dodos

14 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dodos are probably the single most famous case of recent human-induced extinction. First documented in the late 1500s and extinct within a century, do...

Episode 225 - Forests

31 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Forests are among the most widespread and diverse biomes on our planet. This episode, we’re joined by our favorite paleobotanist, Dr. Aly Baumgartne...

Episode 224 - Bipedalism

17 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 223 - Mutations

03 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mutation. It is the key to our evolution. As our cells constantly divide and reproduce and replicate our DNA, errors and inconsistencies develop, lead...

Episode 222 - Shrews

20 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On the outside, shrews might seem like standard tiny mammals, but their anatomy and lifestyle are highly specialized. This episode, with help from spe...

Episode 221 - Legless Lizards

06 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 220 - Terrestrial Crocs

22 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 219 - Beringia

08 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 218 - Lungs

25 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, a...

Episode 217 - Bears

11 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bears are among the most charismatic and impressive mammals. They have large bodies, very flexible lifestyles, and an extensive fossil record that inc...

Episode 216 - Plankton

27 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 sor...

Silver Screen Science - Rise of the Planet of the Apes

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 215 - Ferns

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With several thousand living species, ferns are the second most diverse vascular plants around today, after angiosperms. Ferns are also abundant and w...

Silver Screen Science - Planet of the Apes (2001)

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Silver Screen Science - Planet of the Apes (1968)

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 214 - Saber Teeth

30 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Evolution just loves a nice pair of oversized canines, especially on mammalian predators. Saber-toothed animals have shown up over and over again – ...

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #6

22 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 fo...

Episode 213 - Decomposers

16 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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-overl...

Leaf it to Us - Before We Leaf

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Leaf it to Us - Pilot Episode

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 212 - Temnospondyls

02 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When vertebrates first moved onto land, they gave rise to a variety of amphibious tetrapods. The most diverse and successful of these were temnospondy...

Episode 211 - Edward Drinker Cope

16 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 pal...

Episode 210 - Bones

02 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The evolution of mineralized tissues is responsible not only for the incredible success and diversity of vertebrate animals, but also for their extrao...

Episode 209 - Chimaeras

19 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 fe...

Episode 208 - The Karoo Supergroup

05 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Southern Africa is home to an incredible sequence of geologic formations that span more than 100 million years of Earth history. These rocks, collecti...

End of the Year Q&A 2024

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! Welcome back to our annual, traditional question-answering marathon! As always, a big thank you to everyone who submitted questions fo...

Episode 207 - Therizinosaurs

22 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most theropod dinosaurs are sleek predators built for speedy movement and efficient hunting. Therizinosaurs are unusual. They’re slow and stocky and...

Episode 206 - Vestigial Structures

08 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Evolution involves the innovation of new features, but even more reduction of old features. Those reduced features might disappear, develop in a new d...

Spotlight 2024 - Kallie, Gabriel, and Blake, Eons

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. It’s the final ep...

Episode 205 - Parasitic Plants

24 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 204 - The Messinian Salinity Crisis

10 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Around six million years ago, the Mediterranean Sea dried up, wreaking havoc with local marine life and leaving a dramatic legacy in the geologic reco...

Spotlight 2024 - Amy and Meaghan, Weird and Dead

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This time, we’re ...

Cute-E - Jackalopes

02 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 203 - Rodents

27 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ro...

Spook-E - Redcaps

26 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder h...

Spook-E - Salamanders

19 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder h...

Episode 202 - Fungi and Animals

13 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 e...

Spook-E - Fairies

12 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder h...

Spook-E - Gremlins

05 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is Spook-E Season on Common Descent! Each episode, we pick monsters from fiction and fable and ponder h...

Spotlight 2024 - Dave Marshall, Palaeocast

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This episode, we’...

Episode 201 - Fungi and Plants

29 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our fungal celebration continues! The relationship between fungi and plants is one of the most famous and consequential connections in biological hist...

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #5

22 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mini-episodes are rewards for our high-level supporters on Patreon, each one focusing on a requested topic for a specific Patron. From time to time, w...

Episode 200 - Fungi

15 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Here it is! The most requested episode topic in the history of the podcast! Fungi are everywhere. This episode, we explore how fungi work, what makes ...

Spotlight 2024 - Gavin, Fia, and Mike, I Wish You Were Dead

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This episode, we ch...

Episode 199 - Hibernation

01 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, an animal just needs to power down and wait. Many animals exhibit some form of torpor, including the long-term dormancy of hibernation. Thi...

Episode 198 - Eels

18 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Eels are long-bodied fish found in a variety of aquatic habitats, famous for their unusual body plans, distinctive life cycles, and occasional anatomi...

Spotlight 2024 - Meredith Johnson, Origin Stories

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This episode, anoth...

Episode 197 - Durophagy (Eating Hard Stuff)

04 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some animals are specialists at eating particularly tough foods like shells, seeds, and bones. Adaptations for a durophagous diet come in many forms i...

Episode 196 - Boas and Pythons

21 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Boas and pythons include some of the most famous snake species on Earth, renowned for their incredible tropical diversity, their often beautiful scale...

Episode 195 - Leaves

07 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Leaves. They’re everywhere. They’re the main photosynthesizing organs of plants, and they’re the main source of green on our green-and-blue plan...

Spotlight 2024 - Travis Holland, Fossils and Fiction

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. Joining us for this...

Episode 194 - Alligators and Caimans

23 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Croc Month! Alligators and caimans are the living members of the family Alligatoridae. In this episode, we explore how the gator lineage differs...

Episode 193 - Hopping

09 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Terrestrial animals get around using a variety of gaits: walking, running, galloping, etc. Some of these gaits are particularly bouncy! Hopping comes ...

Spotlight 2024 - Sabrina and Garret, I Know Dino

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. Returning to the po...

Episode 192 - Tongues

26 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tongues are a common feature among tetrapod animals, but the evolution of this organ is complex and fascinating. Through time, tongues have evolved a ...

Episode 191 - Language

12 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Language is possibly the most important and incredible ability that sets humans apart from other species. Whether spoken, written, or signed, language...

Spotlight 2024 - Dylan Wilmeth, Bedrock

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. This episode, we’...

Episode 190 - Cicadas

28 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cicadas are among the most famous insects in the world, and in summer 2024, they’re set to put on quite a show in North America! This episode, we ex...

Silver Screen Science - Jaws

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a new series of Silver Screen Science! As usual, we’re discussing how science is portrayed on the big screen, this time with a new theme: Sha...

Silver Screen Science - Deep Blue Sea

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a new series of Silver Screen Science! As usual, we’re discussing how science is portrayed on the big screen, this time with a new theme: Sha...

Episode 189 - Dromaeosaurs

14 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This group of predatory dinosaurs includes such famous names as Deinonychus, Microraptor, and Velociraptor, and they’re among the most well-studied ...

Silver Screen Science - Meg 2: The Trench

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a new series of Silver Screen Science! As usual, we’re discussing how science is portrayed on the big screen, this time with a new theme: Sha...

Spotlight 2024 - James, Amanda, and Curtis, Palaeo After Dark

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. It’s episode two,...

Episode 188 - Cannibalism

31 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An animal eating another member of its own species might sound like a rare and abnormal occurrence – and it is often portrayed that way – but cann...

Episode 187 - Migration

17 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Among the most spectacular of animal behaviors is migration, the habit of many species to undertake massive journeys, sometimes traveling thousands of...

Spotlight 2024 - Adele Pentland, Pals in Palaeo

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication. In this first episo...

Episode 186 - Owls

03 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Owls are among the world’s most iconic and charismatic birds, and they’re also among the most effective aerial predators. This episode, we’ll ta...

Episode 185 - Cacti

18 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cacti are famous for their spine-shaped leaves, their water-retaining tissues, their green stems, and especially for being among the most well-adapted...

Episode 184 - Richard Owen

04 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A familiar name to modern biologists and paleontologists, Sir Richard Owen is famous for his pioneering work in the fields of paleontology and compara...

Episode 183 - Feathers

21 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Feathers are among the most diverse and complex forms of animal integument. Today, they’re exclusive to birds, where they can be found in a dizzying...

Episode 182 - Camouflage

07 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Blending in with the surroundings is an incredibly useful habit. Even without evidence, this fact would be obvious from the sheer variety of organisms...

End of the Year Q&A 2023

31 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! It’s time again for our annual answering-your-questions marathon episode! Thanks to all our askers for a great set of questions! And...

Episode 181 - Dragonflies

24 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dragonflies and damselflies are incredible insects. They are arguably the world’s most skilled fliers, arguably the world’s most successful predat...