Common Descent

Episode 237 – The Dinosaur Renaissance Listen to Episode 237 on Podbean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! In the mid-to-late 20th Century, the scientific and popular understanding of dinosaurs underwen…

@restingdinoface.bsky.social joins us for a journey through the evolution of dinosaur science of the 20th Century!

Pok-É - Giratina.

Pok-É continues!

This episode, we confront the Renegade Pokémon. From what ancestors might we get a many-limbed monster from a parallel world? Our creature to create this time: Giratina.

Text: "A New Series Appeared" and "Listen Now!" above and below a blue-and-white box with the Pok-E logo and the title: Pok-E - Lugia.

Welcome ... to Pok-É!

This episode, we set our sights on the Diving Pokémon. How might evolution produce a sea-dwelling bird with a knack for stirring up storms? Our creature to create this time: Lugia.

Listen now!

Let’s Botanize Botanizing is the new birding! This fascinating book of 101 botany prompts is about the joy of getting to know plants in much the same way we get to know bir...

Publishing later this month: "Let’s Botanize! 101 Ways to Connect with Plants" (Hachette) by By Ben Goulet-Scott and Jacob S. Suissa.

A doff of my deerstalker to the nice people at @commondescentpod.bsky.social for the tip. #Booksky #botany

www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/ben-g...

Episode 236 – Chalicotheres Listen to Episode 236 on Podbean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Among all of the ancient mammals, few are as unusual as the “gorilla-horses” who sw…

Among all of the ancient mammals, few are as unusual as the “gorilla-horses” who swapped their hooves for claws. This episode, we discuss the long confusing history of Chalicotheres.

The words "Next week..." above a red-and-white ball featuring the title "Pok-E" and a stylized evolutionary tree.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, we're expanding the Spook-E-verse with some speculatively-evolved Legendary Pokémon.

Five episodes, starting February 7th.

Our Anniversary Livestream is this week! Wednesday, January 28th at 7pm US Eastern Time!

Celebrate Nine Years of Common Descent with Q&A, chit-chat, and Special Announcements!

Gorgeous!

Nine-Year Anniversary Livestream! Common Descent is Nine Years Old! Tune in for Q&A and Announcements!

Common Descent turns NINE YEARS OLD next week!

Join us in celebrating with an Anniversary Livestream, Wednesday January 28th at 7pm US Eastern Time! There will be chit-chat, Q&A, and special announcements!

Episode 235 – Aquatic Plants Listen to Episode 235 on Podbean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! All plants need water, but some species take it to the extreme. This episode, we discuss the ad…

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 live in the water!

Great shirt!

Episode 234 – Snails and Slugs Listen to Episode 234 on Podbean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! From deep-sea trenches to your home garden, gastropods are among the most diverse and successfu…

From deep-sea trenches to your home garden, gastropods are among the most diverse and successful animals in Earth history. This episode, we explore the incredible evolutionary story of Snails and Slugs.

Happy New Year!

Please enjoy our annual question-answering marathon, now longer than ever! Thank you so much to everyone who listens, shares, and supports the podcast.

I did a thing!

I am extremely grateful to David and Will for having me on an episode of their podcast to do a primer on Diptera.

One of the highlights of the year for sure.

#entomology

With special guest @punkentomology.bsky.social!

Episode 233 – Flies and Mosquitos Listen to Episode 233 on Podbean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Of all the highly successful and capable flying insects in the world, few are as successful or …

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

Amazing! Bracelet is very cool, and gifts are welcome!

Hey I'm one of those fish and I think we're quite normal.

It could happen to you!

How poop-eating beetles evolved to eat rotting flesh Analysis of thousands of fossils pushes back change in beetles’ diets by more than 37 million years

News from Episode 231:

How some dung beetles evolved to eat meat

News from Episode 231:

Spine injuries maybe caused by dinosaurs climbing atop each other

Evidence of ancient tree-climbing 'drop crocs' found in Australia Scientists say the crocodiles hunted like leopards by climbing trees and killing prey below.

News from Episode 231:

The oldest known fossil croc eggs, from Australia

Fossils of ancient marine predators have been discovered on an Arctic mountain | Natural History Museum Life may have bounced back more quickly than expected after the worst mass extinction in history.

News from Episode 231:

Rapid ocean recovery after the Permian Extinction

Episode 231 – Back to the Water (Secondarily Aquatic Vertebrates) Listen to Episode 231 on Podbean, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts! Ever since an unusual group of fish gave rise to the first land-dwelling vertebrates, their des…

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

A photo of a fossilized hand of some animal. Text says "Next week, on Episode 231..." Image by Mark Wilson

Next week, on Episode 231...

We're thrilled to be an informative influence!

Also everyone go read Stealing From Wizards!

This year's Spook-E theme was Monsters of Nintendo, but a certain franchise was missing...

Join us in February for a special Speculative Evolution series called Pok-É!

End of the Year Q&A 2025 Another year has come and almost gone, and that means it's time to answer all the questions! Ask and we shall answer in our giant-sized End of the Year Q&A! Submit a question below! One question per…

Our End of the Year Q&A is coming up! Submit your question and tune in for the answers at the end of the year!

The latest episode of Briks with Bask is a LEGO tribute to one of our favorite Spook-E creations!

Here's how dinosaur ‘mummies’ are helping scientists solve fossil mysteries A new study sheds light on how these reptiles become “mummies” and paints a picture of what these ancient animals looked like.

News from Episode 230:

Incredible preservation reveals hooves and spines of Edmontosaurus, and some clues about how such fossils form.