Rephonic
Artwork for The Common Descent Podcast

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
Mutations

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes377Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceEarth SciencesNatural Sciences

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Common Descent Podcast

Latest Episodes

Happy Croc Month!

Most living crocodilian species look pretty similar overall – that’s why there are so many tips for telling alligators from crocodiles – but one group really stands out with their bulging eyes and remarkably slender snouts. This ep... more

YouTube

Happy Croc Month!

In this bonus episode, we're joined by friend of the podcast Maddie Turala to talk about her research on estimating body size in fossil alligators!

This month only! Join the Crocs & Snakes Tier on our Patreon to receive a Croc Mon... more

YouTube

Cycads are cousins of conifers, and although they can be found throughout the modern tropics, they are often considered a visual indicator of prehistory. This episode, Aly joins us to explore what sets cycads apart from other plants, what we know of ... more

YouTube

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

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Terrible Lizards
Terrible LizardsIszi Lawrence and David Hone
Leaf it to Us
Leaf it to UsLeaf it to Us
Geology Bites
Geology BitesOliver Strimpel
The Ancients
The AncientsHistory Hit

Recent Guests

Aly Baumgartner
Paleobotanist
Episode: Episode 245 - Cycads
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
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
    Canada3 months ago
  • The best podcast I’ve listened to

    WONDERFUL

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Common descent
    United States4 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
    India5 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 Kingdom7 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 245 - Cycads
Q: Is there a plant equivalent of the Cambrian Explosion?
Yes, the Devonian Plant Explosion (also called the Silurian-Devonian Terrestrial Revolution) describes rapid diversification of land plants from about 428 to 359 million years ago, including the advent of forests in the middle Devonian and a suite of vascular plants with modern-like ecological roles.
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.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

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

Where can I find podcast stats for The Common Descent Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Common Descent Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Common Descent Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Common Descent Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Common Descent Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Common Descent Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Common Descent Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Common Descent Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Common Descent Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

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. The Ancients

How many episodes of The Common Descent Podcast are there?

The Common Descent Podcast launched 9 years ago and published 377 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Common Descent Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Common Descent Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Common Descent Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Common Descent Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Common Descent Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Common Descent Podcast?

Recent guests on The Common Descent Podcast include:

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

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days