The Common Descent Podcast

Episode 180 - Filter Feeding

10 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Filter feeding is among the most widespread dietary strategies in the world. From tiny bivalves to massive basking sharks, animals have developed a va...

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #4

04 Dec 2023

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 179 - Thermoregulation

26 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If things get too hot or too cold, the crucial processes inside the cells and tissues of living organisms stop working properly, and that’s bad. So,...

Episode 178 - Ears

12 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listen up! The world around us is full of sound, and animals have evolved numerous strategies for receiving and interpreting those sounds. In this epi...

Cute-E - Friendly Dragons

04 Nov 2023

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 177 - Neanderthals

29 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

These days, we Homo sapiens are the only humans around, but that wasn’t always the case. This episode, we are joined by special guest Dr. Bridget Al...

Spook-E - Turtle Dragons

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. It’s October, and that means it’s Spook-E Season once again! Each episode in the series, we pick a type of ...

Spook-E - Wyverns

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. It’s October, and that means it’s Spook-E Season once again! Each episode in the series, we pick a type of ...

Episode 176 - Hadrosaurs

15 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hadrosaurs (the so-called “duckbill” dinosaurs) and their fellow ornithopods were among the most abundant and successful dinosaur groups of all ti...

Spook-E - East Asian Dragons

14 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. It’s October, and that means it’s Spook-E Season once again! Each episode in the series, we pick a type of ...

Spook-E - European Dragons

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. It’s October, and that means it’s Spook-E Season once again! Each episode in the series, we pick a type of ...

Episode 175 - Plant Defenses

01 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Plants are delicious, nutritious, and full of energy, so they’re prime targets for all sorts of herbivores, parasites, and pathogens. But plan...

Episode 174 - The Mesozoic Marine Revolution

17 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earth’s oceans change over time, not just in their size and shape, but also in the very dynamics of their ecosystems. The stage was set for modern o...

Episode 173 - Herbivores (Plant-Eaters)

03 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Eating plants isn’t easy, and yet the habit has evolved many times over the history of life on Earth, and herbivores have become essential component...

Silver Screen Science - 65 (2023)

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a new paleontology-adjacent movie out there, and as usual, it’s a great opportunity to examine how science is translated to the big screen...

Episode 172 - Toothed Whales

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For much of their evolutionary history, whales have been divided into two main lineages: baleen whales and toothed whales. The toothed variety ar...

Episode 171 - The Tethys Sea

06 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout Earth history, tectonic forces have changed the shape of the continents – and the oceans! You might be familiar with the Tethys Sea as an...

Episode 170 - Milk

23 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mammals are famous for their ability to produce milk, a special substance that is essential for providing newborns with the ingredients they need for ...

Snake Stuff with David

16 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Snake Month! In this special episode, it’s all about snakes with our very own snake-enthusiast: David! Thanks to our Patrons for providing the...

Episode 169 - Sea Snakes

09 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Snakes are surprisingly good at adapting to life in saltwater. Today’s seafaring serpents include a wide diversity of semi-marine species as well as...

Episode 168 – Marine Crocs

25 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most crocodilians today can handle saltwater to some degree, but many of their ancient cousins were much more suited to a life at sea, including some ...

Croc Chat with Will

17 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Croc Month! In this special episode, we talk about crocs with the croc-fanatic himself: our very own Will! Thanks to our Patrons for providing t...

Episode 167 – Geologic Dating

11 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When scientists find a new rock formation or fossil assemblage, how do they determine how old it is? The answer lies in the many varied methods of geo...

Episode 166 - Monotremes

28 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In our modern world, there are three major groups of mammals: placentals (that’s most of us), marsupials, and the rare and bizarre monotremes. Today...

Episode 165 - Fruit

14 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the hallmarks of angiosperms (flowering plants) is the formation of a container to hold their seeds. These containers are fruits, and they come...

Episode 164 - The ”Boring Billion”

30 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From roughly 1.8 – 0.8 billion years ago, things on Earth seemingly slowed down. The geologic record shows a conspicuous lack of evidence for major ...

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #3

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As you might know by now, our high-level supporters on Patreon get to request a topic for their own special mini-episode! Every now and then, we colle...

Episode 163 - Claws

16 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Check the fingers and toes of your favorite vertebrate animals and you’re likely to find claws or something similar at the ends. These digit-caps co...

Episode 162 – Caecilians

02 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You’re probably familiar with frogs and salamanders, but there is a third group of modern amphibians, the strangest of them all: the worm-like caeci...

Episode 161 - Sleep

18 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We spend a huge portion of our lives sleeping. For us and other animals, it’s clearly a very important behavior. And yet, despite how familiar and c...

Episode 160 - The Messel Pit

05 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once, it was a volcanic crater. Then, it was a lake, perhaps equal parts lush and deadly. Much later, it was a mining site. And finally, today, it is ...

Episode 159 - Giraffes

19 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Giraffes are so famous and familiar to most of us that it can be easy to forget how utterly strange they are. This episode, we explore modern giraffes...

Episode 158 – Charles R. Knight

05 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Darwin Day! You’ve seen his artwork. And if you somehow haven’t, you’ve seen lots of art inspired by his artwork. Charles R. Knight might ...

Episode 157 - Bioluminescence and Biofluorescence

22 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Glowing organisms might seem like something out of science fiction, but not only do they exist here on Earth, they are incredibly common. Some species...

Episode 156 - Eurypterids (Sea Scorpions)

08 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Paleozoic Era was home to many strange and fascinating extinct groups, and among the most eye-catching of these were the eurypterids. Colloquially...

End of the Year Q&A 2022

31 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! It’s been an exciting and eventful year for the podcast, and we’re glad you’ve been along for the ride! As usual, this is our an...

Episode 155 - Gymnosperms

25 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a great time of year to talk about conifers! Also their cousins: cycads, ginkgos, and others! Gymnosperms don’t get nearly as much love and a...

Episode 154 - Live Birth

11 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Viviparity is the reproductive style where embryos develop inside a parent’s body instead of inside an egg the parent lays. It’s a very familiar h...

Episode 153 - Armadillos

27 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Built-in body armor is common among reptiles and rare among mammals, but armadillos are the major exception. Equipped with a full set of segmented arm...

Episode 152 - The Jehol Biota

13 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You might have noticed that over the last few decades, a lot of really exciting and famous fossil discoveries have been coming out of China. If you pa...

Episode 151 - Tails

30 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Look at the various animals on Earth – or rather, look just behind them – and you’ll see a vast variety of tails! Tails and tail-like structures...

Spook-E - Mimics

29 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a...

Spook-E - Beholders

22 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a...

Episode 150 - Stegosaurs

16 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Stegosaurus is one of the all-time most famous and recognizable dinosaurs, but it wasn’t alone! Its whole extended family, the stegosaurs, were medi...

Spook-E - Displacer Beasts

15 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a...

Spook-E - Owlbears

08 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a...

Episode 149 - Ants

02 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In our modern world, ants are so ubiquitous that it’s difficult to image our planet without them, so successful that they shape the environments aro...

Episode 148 - Gliding

18 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Powered flight is hard, and evolution has only produced it a few times. Gliding, however, is much easier and much more common. In fact, there is an as...

Episode 147 - Genetics

04 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For many years, scientists pondered the question: how and why do offspring inherit traits from their parents? And key to the answer to that question i...

Episode 146 - The Jurassic-Cretaceous Transition

21 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Every period of geologic time is distinguished by its own environmental and ecological features, and every boundary between time periods is characteri...

Episode 145 - Photosynthesis

07 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We live in a solar-powered world. Photosynthesis is the process by which some organisms (notably plants and cyanobacteria) harness the energy of sunli...

Episode 144 - Evolutionary Gigantism and Dwarfism

24 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The history of evolution is full of species of unusual size, big and small. But the factors that lead to evolutionary miniaturization or embiggening c...

Saving Snakes with Hiral Naik

16 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Snake Month! In this bonus episode, we discuss snake conservation and geek out about snakes with special guest Hiral Naik of Save the Snakes. We...

Episode 143 - Monitor Lizards

10 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Monitor lizards are charismatic, surprisingly diverse, full of surprising biological features, and on top of all that, they include the largest terres...

Episode 142 - Phytosaurs

26 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Take a walk along the waterways of the Late Triassic, and you could easily think it was a world full of crocodiles! But in fact, those are not crocs, ...

Silver Screen Science - Jurassic World: Dominion

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Once again, we return to the Jurassic franchise! And as usual with these movies, there’s lots to discuss about the portrayal of ancient animals, sci...

Conserving Crocs with Dr. Marisa Tellez

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Croc Month! In this special episode, we talk croc conservation and geek out about crocs with special guest Dr. Marisa Tellez of the Crocodilian ...

Episode 141 - Supercontinents

12 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Perhaps you’ve heard of Pangaea, the supercontinent that existed when our modern continents were puzzle-pieced together. But have you heard of Rodin...

Silver Screen Science – Prehistoric Planet

05 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Recently, BBC Studios put out a new documentary series set in the world of the Late Cretaceous, so we’re doing our first-ever Silver Screen Science ...

Episode 140 - Horns and Antlers

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Who doesn’t like a flashy bit of headgear? A wide variety of cranial ornamentation is found on a wide variety of animals: sharp horns, branching ant...

Episode 139 - Vultures

15 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Scavenging isn’t easy. There’s a reason most scavengers are only part-time carrion-eaters. But vultures are exquisitely adapted for a dedicated li...

Episode 138 - The Moon

01 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's an easy mistake to think of the Moon as a simple accessory to our planet, but the Earth and Moon are a close-knit pair, and the Moon influences e...

Episode 137 - Fossilization

17 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We talk about fossils a lot on this podcast – every episode, in fact – but we rarely take the time to discuss how fossils get the way they are. Th...

Episode 136 - Seahorses

03 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Seahorses are very strange fish, with their upright posture, tube-like mouths, and various other unusual features. Along with their cousins in the fam...

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #2

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our highest-level supporters on Patreon get their own special mini-episode on a topic of their choosing! We released the first five in a compilation a...

Episode 135 - Seeds

20 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Every plant starts somewhere, and often that somewhere is inside a seed. Seeds are among the most diverse and important evolutionary innovations of pl...

The Art of Common Descent with Rob Soto

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Paleoartist Rob Soto has created some fantastic artwork for the podcast over the years. Most recently, for our Five Year Anniversary celebration, he p...

Episode 134 – Sanguivores (Blood-Eaters)

06 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Blood is nutritious, easy to digest, and not hard to come by, so it’s unsurprising – if a bit unsettling – that thousands of species have evolve...

Episode 133 - Symbiosis

20 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

None of us are alone. Like, in the literal, biological sense. Symbiotic relationships – close interactions between unrelated organisms – are a def...

Episode 132 - Mary and Louis Leakey

06 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 132 – Mary and Louis Leakey Happy Darwin Day! Mary and Louis Leakey are two of the biggest names in the history of paleoanthropology and hum...

Episode 131 - Volcanoes

23 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Volcanoes are fascinating, devastating, and fundamental to Earth systems. Volcanic eruptions can transform ecosystems, landscapes, and even the atmosp...

Episode 130 - Sense of Smell

09 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With every breath you take, you’re collecting information about your surroundings. We humans are actually pretty skilled smellers, as these things g...

End of the Year Q&A 2021

31 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year! Thanks as always to everyone who submitted questions for the Q&A. Thanks to everyone for listening, sharing, and supporting the podcas...

Episode 129 - Rhinos

26 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, rhinos are famous for their large size and impressive horns (and their distressing conservation status, sadly), but modern rhinos are only a sm...

Episode 128 - The Deep Sea

12 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Far below the ocean surface is a vast environment of cold, darkness, very scarce food, and surprisingly diverse life. Deep sea life is quite mysteriou...

Silver Screen Science – Prologue, Jurassic World: Dominion

04 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Surprise! A special short(ish) episode of Silver Screen Science to discuss the Prologue/Trailer for Jurassic World: Dominion! Time markers: Science D...

Episode 127 - The Hell Creek Formation

28 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Located across a wide area of the Upper Great Plains of the United States, the Hell Creek Formation is one of the world’s premier locations for stud...

Episode 126 - Mimicry

14 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Evolution loves to plagiarize. You might be surprised at just how useful it can be for an organism to copy the signals, sights, sounds, and smells of ...

Episode 125 - Orchids

31 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Orchids are among the most diverse and widespread group of plants on Earth today, not to mention one of the most popular among plant enthusiasts. This...

Spook-E - Triffids

30 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a...

Spook-E - Mandrakes

23 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a...

Episode 124 - Snowball Earth

17 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

An Earth covered in ice might sound far-fetched, but there’s reason to think it has actually happened in the past – more than once. In this episod...

Spook-E - Animated Trees

16 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a...

Spook-E - People-Eating Plants

09 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. October is here, and that means it’s time for Spook-E! Each episode throughout this month, we’re choosing a...

Episode 123 - Spiders

03 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Spiders are among the most diverse, successful, and famous living groups of invertebrates. Today, they’re a worldwide assortment of fascinating pred...

Episode 122 - Plate Tectonics

19 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Earth is in motion beneath our feet. The shifting and grinding of the tectonic plates is responsible for the shape of our planet’s surface and –...

Episode 121 - Brains

05 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly all animals have some form of nervous system, and this system is often monitored and regulated by a brain. We humans are particularly proud of ...

Episode 120 – Tyrannosaurs

22 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ever since T. rex was first identified in 1905, tyrannosaurs have been among the most famous and well-studied dinosaurs of all time. Research, especia...

Episode 119 - India

08 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

India is a landmass with an incredible history. Over the past half-billion years, it has spent time with the southern continents, time as an island-on...

Episode 118 - Trace Fossils

25 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As organisms live, grow, and move in their environments, they leave all sorts of traces in their surroundings, and these can become fossilized just li...

Episode 117 - Crabs and Carcinization

11 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What exactly is a “crab” anyway? One answer is that they are among the most diverse and successful living arthropods. Another answer: they are man...

Episode 116 - Ichthyosaurs

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The history of evolution has seen many land animals move to the sea, but few have done it with such success and specialization as ichthyosaurs. These ...

Silver Screen Science - Anaconda (1997)

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This June, by popular demand, we’re doing a Silver Screen Science double feature focusing on our two favorite reptiles: crocs and snakes. One croc m...

Silver Screen Science - Lake Placid (1999)

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This June, by popular demand, we’re doing a Silver Screen Science double feature focusing on our favorite reptiles: crocs and snakes! One croc movie...

Episode 115 - Biomes

13 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

All over the Earth, there are biological communities that differ depending on the local climate and landscape. These are biomes, and biologists love t...

Episode 114 - Polar Life

30 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Far to the north and far to the south, conditions on Earth get weird. Cold climates and periods of perpetual night or day create some of the most uniq...

Episode 113 - Paleoclimate

16 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The geologic record of Earth is an archive of data on the causes and effects of changing climates. As climate changes, it impacts everything from plan...

Episode 112 - Caves

02 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Subterranean passages and chambers within the Earth form eerie and incredible environments that are home to unique ecosystems of bizarre creatures and...

Episode 111 - Eusociality

18 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There isn’t much on Earth quite like an ant colony or a beehive. Lots of animals are social, but relatively few are eusocial. It’s a bizarre lifes...

Silver Screen Science – Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve talked a lot about Godzilla and King Kong in previous Silver Screen Science episodes, and now there’s a new movie with both of them in it, s...