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: Sharks!It’s a series about shark movies, so how could we skip the most famous and influential shark

Silver Screen Science - Deep Blue Sea

8 days ago 55m 12s

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: Sharks!This time, we’re exploring the monster sharks and suspicious science of a 90s shark classic –

Episode 189 - Dromaeosaurs

11 days ago 2h 33m

This group of predatory dinosaurs includes such famous names as Deinonychus, Microraptor, and Velociraptor, and they’re among the most well-studied and popular dinosaurs of all time. This episode, we’ll discuss what sets these dinosaurs apart,

Silver Screen Science - Meg 2: The Trench

15 days ago 1h 1m

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: Sharks!This episode, we’re examining the newest installment in the film series about giant monster a

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

22 days ago 1h 4m

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.It’s episode two, and our guests are the hosts of Palaeo After Dark: James, Amanda, and Curtis!Find Palaeo After D

Episode 188 - Cannibalism

25 days ago 2h 20m

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 cannibalism is actually extremely widespread and common in nature. Some animals are occasional canniba

Episode 187 - Migration

Mar 17th, 2024 2h 7m

Among the most spectacular of animal behaviors is migration, the habit of many species to undertake massive journeys, sometimes traveling thousands of kilometers to access food or breeding grounds. This episode, we explore the incredible divers

Spotlight 2024 - Adele Pentland, Pals in Palaeo

Mar 6th, 2024 1h 11m

Welcome to Spotlight 2024! In this series, we’re sitting down with our fellow paleo-podcasters to discuss Science Communication.In this first episode, our guest is Adele Pentland, host of Pals in Palaeo!Find Adele and Pals in Palaeo in these

Episode 186 - Owls

Mar 3rd, 2024 2h 9m

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 take a tour of the amazing adaptations that have allowed owls to achieve their modern diversity and wo

Episode 185 - Cacti

Feb 18th, 2024 2h 16m

Cacti are famous for their spine-shaped leaves, their water-retaining tissues, their green stems, and especially for being among the most well-adapted organisms on Earth for dry environments. This episode, we’re joined by Dr. Aly Baumgartner to

Episode 184 - Richard Owen

Feb 4th, 2024 1h 54m

A familiar name to modern biologists and paleontologists, Sir Richard Owen is famous for his pioneering work in the fields of paleontology and comparative anatomy, his contributions to public appreciation of biological sciences, and his often a

Episode 183 - Feathers

Jan 21st, 2024 2h 24m

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 variety of forms and functions, and incredible fossils reveal even more diversity of feathers o

Episode 182 - Camouflage

Jan 7th, 2024 2h 21m

Blending in with the surroundings is an incredibly useful habit. Even without evidence, this fact would be obvious from the sheer variety of organisms that do it and the vast diversity of strategies and adaptations they use. This episode, we lo

End of the Year Q&A 2023

Dec 31st, 2023 4h 23m

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 as always, a huge thanks to all of you who have supported the podcast this year, whether you’re

Episode 181 - Dragonflies

Dec 24th, 2023 2h 9m

Dragonflies and damselflies are incredible insects. They are arguably the world’s most skilled fliers, arguably the world’s most successful predators, and arguably the best insects (so says David). Not only that, they and their ancient cousins

Episode 180 - Filter Feeding

Dec 10th, 2023 2h 12m

Filter feeding is among the most widespread dietary strategies in the world. From tiny bivalves to massive basking sharks, animals have developed a vast array of convergent strategies for filtering tiny food particles out of the water. This epi

Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #4

Dec 4th, 2023 2h 8m

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, we combine a bunch of these and release them as a bundle for all our listeners to enjoy. Enjoy!

Episode 179 - Thermoregulation

Nov 26th, 2023 2h 9m

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, organisms expend a lot of time and energy managing their body temperatures. This episode, we br

Episode 178 - Ears

Nov 12th, 2023 2h 24m

Listen up! The world around us is full of sound, and animals have evolved numerous strategies for receiving and interpreting those sounds. In this episode, we discuss the many varieties of sound-sensing organs and how they’ve evolved repeatedly

Cute-E - Friendly Dragons

Nov 4th, 2023 1h 1m

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 side of fiction. In Cute-E, we’re choosing kinder creatures and discussing how they – or someth

Episode 177 - Neanderthals

Oct 29th, 2023 2h 38m

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 Alex to discuss our most famous extinct cousins, Neanderthals. We explore what makes them similar

Spook-E - Turtle Dragons

Oct 28th, 2023 44m 23s

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 monster and explore how it – or something like it – might evolve under the rules of evolution and

Spook-E - Wyverns

Oct 21st, 2023 57m 50s

Episode 176 - Hadrosaurs

Oct 15th, 2023 2h 33m

Hadrosaurs (the so-called “duckbill” dinosaurs) and their fellow ornithopods were among the most abundant and successful dinosaur groups of all time. This episode, we discuss their evolution and diversity, and we explore some of the most outsta