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The Common Descent Podcast

Common Descent
The Common Descent Podcast
Latest episode

370 episodes

  • The Common Descent Podcast

    Episode 242 - Fire

    26/04/2026 | 2h 29 mins.
    Earth is a very flammable world. The combination of heat, oxygen, and burnable plants makes fire a constant feature of our planet. Many modern ecosystems thrive in the presence of fire, and lots of plant and animal species have adapted to avoid or take advantage of the flames. This episode, we explore the diverse topic of fire ecology, and we take a tour through the deep history of fire on Earth.

    In the news: Triassic crocs, anglerfish lures, behavior and evolution, and synapsid babies.

    Time markers:
    Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
    News: 00:06:30
    Main discussion, Part 1: 00:48:25
    Main discussion, Part 2: 01:35:05
    Patron question: 02:17:55

    Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

    Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

    Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

    Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

    The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

    Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • The Common Descent Podcast

    Silver Screen Science - One Million Years B.C. (1966)

    23/04/2026 | 1h 19 mins.
    Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore science on the big screen and beyond. This year, we’re taking a tour through cinematic history with Old School Dinosaurs!

    This episode, we visit a classic of mid-century caveman-versus-dinosaur cinema, with One Million Years B.C.

    Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

    Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

    Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

    The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
  • The Common Descent Podcast

    Silver Screen Science - Dinosaur Shorts (Gertie, Slumber Mountain, Fantasia)

    16/04/2026 | 1h 17 mins.
    Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore science on the big screen and beyond. This year, we’re taking a tour through cinematic history with Old School Dinosaurs!

    This episode, we compile and compare a handful of dino-themed short films from the early days of dinosaur movies: Gertie the Dinosaur, The Ghost of Slumber Mountain, and the Rite of Spring segment from Disney’s Fantasia.

    Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

    Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

    Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

    The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
  • The Common Descent Podcast

    Episode 241 - Digestion

    12/04/2026 | 2h 19 mins.
    The world is full of food, but in order to make the most of it, living organisms need to be able to break it down and extract the useful nutrients. This episode, we explore the fundamental process of digestion and the many, many ways that life has adapted this process to various diets. And we’ll take a look at what the fossil record has to tell us about ancient diets and the evolutionary history of digestive systems.

    In the news: predator bites, coelacanth lungs, Cambrian claws, and squid evolution.

    Time markers:
    Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
    News: 00:05:55
    Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:10
    Main discussion, Part 2: 01:23:30
    Patron question: 02:06:50

    Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

    Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

    Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

    Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

    The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

    Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • The Common Descent Podcast

    Silver Screen Science - The Lost World (1925)

    09/04/2026 | 1h 15 mins.
    Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore science on the big screen and beyond. This year, we’re taking a tour through cinematic history with Old School Dinosaurs!

    This episode, we start things off with the great grand-daddy of dinosaur movies: The Lost World (1925).

    Check out our website for blog posts and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

    Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

    Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

    The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

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About The Common Descent Podcast

Join David and Will as they explore the paleontologists’ perspective on various topics in life and earth history. Each episode features a main discussion on a topic requested by the listeners, presented as a lighthearted and educational conversation about fossils, evolution, deep time, and more. Before the main discussion, each episode also includes a news segment, covering recent research related to paleontology and evolution. Each episode ends with the answer to a question submitted by subscribers on Patreon. New episodes with new topics every fortnight!
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