Podcast Episodes

Spook-E – Piranha Plants

Episode 334

Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution.

Spook-E Season is back! All throughout October, we pick monsters from myth and media and speculate how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Eart…

Published on 2 months ago

Episode 227 - Beaks

Episode 341

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 developed toothless snouts covered in a tough sheath. Th…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

Episode 226 - Dodos

Episode 340

Dodos are probably the single most famous case of recent human-induced extinction. First documented in the late 1500s and extinct within a century, dodos have become a global reminder of the devastat…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

Episode 225 - Forests

Episode 339

Forests are among the most widespread and diverse biomes on our planet. This episode, we’re joined by our favorite paleobotanist, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, to explore what defines a forest, how these habi…

Published on 3 months, 1 week ago

Episode 224 - Bipedalism

Episode 333

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 ways animals have evolved bipedalism and the many…

Published on 3 months, 3 weeks ago

Episode 223 - Mutations

Episode 332

Mutation. It is the key to our evolution. As our cells constantly divide and reproduce and replicate our DNA, errors and inconsistencies develop, leading to the incredible variation of life that driv…

Published on 4 months ago

Episode 222 - Shrews

Episode 331

On the outside, shrews might seem like standard tiny mammals, but their anatomy and lifestyle are highly specialized. This episode, with help from special guest Derek den Ouden, we explore the divers…

Published on 4 months, 2 weeks ago

Episode 221 - Legless Lizards

Episode 330

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 every major lineage of lizards. This episode, we …

Published on 5 months ago

Episode 220 - Terrestrial Crocs

Episode 329

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 through croc evolutionary history and explore the …

Published on 5 months, 2 weeks ago

Episode 219 - Beringia

Episode 328

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 of plants and animals across this connection have…

Published on 6 months ago