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The Common Descent Podcast

Common Descent
Paleontology
Evolution
Dinosaurs
Fungi
Fossils
Paleobotany
Natural Selection
Nintendo
Pokémon
Evolutionary Biology
Fossil Record
Conservation
Science Communication
Insects
Planet Of the Apes
Symbiosis
Chimaeras
Saber Teeth
Ferns
Forests

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... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes374Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceEarth SciencesNatural Sciences

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Artwork for The Common Descent Podcast

Latest Episodes

Most modern turtles are pretty good in the water, but only some are truly ocean-dwellers. This episode, we explore the unique and diverse lifestyles and anatomy of modern sea turtles, then we take a tour of turtles through time, visiting the surprisi... more

YouTube

A lot of life on Earth happens underground. This episode, we sample the species that have taken to a life of digging in the dirt – and elsewhere – why they do it and what physical adaptations help them along the way. Then, we’ll take a tour of burrow... more

YouTube

Leaf it to Us Season 2 is coming! Episode 1 drops on May 7th!

You can find Leaf it to Us on any podcast platform!

Consider supporting Leaf it to Us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/leafittouspod

And connect with the community in these places: h... more

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’re wrapping things up with a tale of cowboys and dinosaur... more

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Recent Guests

Riley Black
Author of several books on paleontology, including 'When the Earth Was Green' and 'The Last Days of the Dinosaurs'
Episode: Episode 237 - The Dinosaur Renaissance
Ben Goulet Scott
Runs education programs at Harvard Forest and co-director of Let's Botanize
Harvard Forest and Let's Botanize
Episode: Episode 236 - Chalicotheres
Jacob Suiza
Assistant professor of botany and evolutionary biology at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Episode: Episode 236 - Chalicotheres
Dr. Aly Baumgartner
Plant expert extraordinaire, paleobotanist
Episode: Episode 235 - Aquatic Plants
Brandon Strauss
PhD candidate specializing in forensic entomology
Texas A&M
Episode: Episode 233 - Flies and Mosquitoes
Derek Dinaudin
An outgoing ETSU Master's student and an incoming Arizona State University PhD student, focusing on shrews.
East Tennessee State University
Episode: Episode 222 - Shrews
Dr. Ali Baumgartner
Paleobotanist and expert on ferns
Episode: Episode 215 - Ferns
Astrid Lundberg
Paleontologist and science communicator
Episode: Episode 211 - Edward Drinker Cope
Gabriel Philip Santos
Director of Education and Visitor Engagement at the Alf Museum of Paleontology, newest host of PBS Eons.
Alf Museum of Paleontology
Episode: Spotlight 2024 - Kallie, Gabriel, and Blake, Eons

Hosts

David
Host of The Common Descent Podcast
Will
Co-host of The Common Descent Podcast

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 2.2k ratings
  • Annoying

    They mostly just read Wikipedia articles while one guy chuckles and repeatedly says “YUP YUP.”

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    4foryouU
    Canada2 months ago
  • The best podcast I’ve listened to

    WONDERFUL

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Common descent
    United States3 months ago
  • This Podcast Deserves More Than Five Stars

    Super informative and fun. There are and never can be any bad episode topics. Quite scientific and detailed, which is a compliment.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dark Side Rising
    India4 months ago
  • Mind expanding

    This podcast is pitched at the perfect level to help us understand the natural world. Apart from just enjoying the conversation between smart people discussing the wonders of the natural environment. I have actually learned so much from listening to the amazing topics covered here. Brilliant work and a big thank you for one of the best things on the internet.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    VinnieOC
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • Loving this

    Just what I was looking for, in depth full fat explorations of all the many branches of life in a friendly genial easy listening package. Major thanks to the creators.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Zoyza
    United Kingdom6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A few listeners feel the banter is a bit much or the pace can wander.
Consistently strong on audience engagement and topic variety, including Patreon community input.
Enthusiastic, accessible explanations that brighten complex topics.
High-quality coverage of evolution, fossils, and natural history.
Rigorous science communicated with charisma and clarity.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 244 - Sea Turtles
Q: Is there fossil evidence of deformed dinosaurs, like two-headed specimens?
There are many deformities in dinosaur fossils, but no confirmed two-headed dinosaurs; at least one two-headed embryo (Hyphalosaurus) has been reported, making it a rare, exceptional case.
Episode 244 - Sea Turtles
Q: Which episode surprised you most during your research?
Will and David noted that some episodes shift from familiar topics to surprising new facts, with the Boring Billion and Sicilians episodes cited as examples of learning startling detail beyond prior knowledge.
Episode 243 - Burrowers
Q: What other organisms besides ants and termites farm, and how widespread is the behavior?
There are several examples across the tree of life where organisms engage in farming-like behavior or manage cultivated food sources, including long, thin damselfish gardens of algae with protective relationships, fungus farming by ambrosia beetles and certain ants, aphid herds tended by ants, and even Yeti crabs cultivating bacterial growth on their bodies near methane seeps. The evidence varies in certainty, but these cases illustrate a spectrum from deliberate farming to more incidental cultivation.
Episode 241 - Digestion
Q: Given how little of the digestive system fossilizes, what's the best way to infer ancient digestion?
We triangulate across sources: fossilized stomach contents and coprolites for direct diet signals, gut and dental morphology for functional clues, and pathology or wear patterns; we also use genomic and molecular data to infer evolutionary relationships that shape digestive strategies.
Episode 240 - Terror Birds
Q: If you had to predict future land vertebrates, could snakes or two-limbed terrestrial bird descendants dominate, given limb-loss trends?
While limb-loss is common in some lineages, the overall skeletal blueprint tends to be conservative across major groups, and the podcast guests suggest new lineages with limbs can still diversify and occupy diverse niches, making a future snake- or bird-dominant landscape possible but not inevitable.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Common Descent Podcast

What is The Common Descent Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two paleontology-focused hosts guide listeners through deep-time topics with a conversational, accessible style. Each episode blends a news segment about recent research in paleontology and evolution with a main discussion—often driven by listener topic requests—followed by a Patreon Q&A. Topics span evolution, fossils, ecology, and organismal biology, with memorable anecdotes and a strong emphasis on scientific context and curiosity. The format consistently highlights clear explanations, entertaining banter, and a community-first approach, which can be appealing for science-curious listeners who want thorough yet approachable explorations. A notable strength is the steady mix of new research, diverse subjects, and opportunities for audienc... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Common Descent Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Common Descent Podcast:

1. Terrible Lizards
2. I Know Dino: The Big Dinosaur Podcast
3. Leaf it to Us
4. Geology Bites
5. In Defense of Plants Podcast

How many episodes of The Common Descent Podcast are there?

The Common Descent Podcast launched 9 years ago and published 374 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Common Descent Podcast?

Recent guests on The Common Descent Podcast include:

1. Riley Black
2. Ben Goulet Scott
3. Jacob Suiza
4. Dr. Aly Baumgartner
5. Brandon Strauss
6. Derek Dinaudin
7. Dr. Ali Baumgartner
8. Astrid Lundberg

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