Main Episodes List

Main episodes release every two weeks, covering all sorts of topics from a paleontological perspective. All episode topics are suggested by our audience!

Looking for a particular topic? Look at our Episode Tags.

Interested in our other episodes? Check out our Side Series.

MAIN EPISODE LIST
Episode 232 – Vertebrate Origins	The early evolution of chordates and their bony descendants.
Episode 231 – Back to the Water (Secondarily Aquatic Vertebrates)	The evolution of many reptiles, mammals, and birds back to the ocean.
Episode 230 – Pachycephalosaurs	The famous dome-headed dinosaurs.
Episode 229 – Myrmecophagy (Ant-Eating)	The many mammals and more that have evolved for a diet of ants.
Episode 228 – Dinosaur Provincial Park	An extraordinary Late Cretaceous fossil site in Alberta, Canada.
Episode 227 – Beaks	The faces of birds, turtles, and more. No teeth and a hard sheath are a recipe for incredible diversity.
Episode 226 – Dodos	Among the most famous extinct species, the iconic flightless birds of Mauritius.
Episode 225 – Forests	One of the most important biomes in Earth history! Guest: Aly Baumgartner
Episode 224 – Bipedalism	Diversity of evolution of animals that get by with two-legged locomotion.
Episode 223 – Mutations	A major source of genetic variation and evolutionary potential.
Episode 222 – Shrews	Tiny, mighty mammals! Guest: Derek den Ouden.
Episode 221 – Legless Lizards	Snake Month! The repeated evolution of long bodies and lost limbs in squamate reptiles.
Episode 220 – Terrestrial Crocs	Croc Month! A brief history of croc-cousins venturing onto land.
Episode 219 – Beringia	The famous and influential land connection between Asia and North America.
Episode 218 – Lungs	The primary organs of the respiratory system, and their fascinating fossil history.
Episode 217 – Bears	Impressive carnivoran mammals and their impressive fossil record.
Episode 216 – Plankton	Floating organisms that form the foundation of ecosystems in the oceans and beyond.
Episode 215 – Ferns	Incredibly diverse spore plants of the past and present. Guest: Aly Baumgartner
Episode 214 – Saber Teeth	Evolution loves a pair of giant canines, especially on mammalian predators.
Episode 213 – Decomposers	The essential organisms that break down organic matter in their ecosystem.
Episode 212 – Temnospondyls	Ancient amphibians of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, among the most successful early tetrapods.
Episode 211 – Edward Drinker Cope	An infamous figure in the history of American paleontology. Guest: Astrid Lundberg
Episode 210 – Bones	The anatomy and origins of skeletal tissue, plus histology and other methods of studying ancient bones.
Episode 209 – Chimaeras	Sharks’ mysterious cousins, their deep-ocean lives, and their strange ancient family.
Episode 208 – The Karoo Supergroup	Extraordinary sequence of fossil deposits in southern Africa.
Episode 207 – Therizinosaurs	Strange and fascinating dinosaurs famous for their unusual diets and giant claws.
Episode 206 – Vestigial Structures	Evolution regularly produces reduced, regressed, or function-less features.
Episode 205 – Parasitic Plants	Plants that are parasites on other plants. Guest: Aly Baumgartner
Episode 204 – The Messinian Salinity Crisis	That time the Mediterranean Sea dried up.
Episode 203 – Rodents	Diversity and evolution of some of the most successful mammals on Earth.
Episode 202 – Fungi and Animals	Parasites, pathogens, predators, and symbiotic partners.
Episode 201 – Fungi and Plants	Symbiosis of nature’s most iconic duo. Mycorrhizae, lichens, and more. Guest: Aly Baumgartner
Episode 200 – Fungi	Mushrooms, yeasts, and all the other members of the fungal Kingdom. Part one of three!
Episode 199 – Hibernation	Long-term dormancy or torpor.
Episode 198 – Eels	Long-bodied fish, their anatomy, diversity, evolution. Guest: Shay Maden.
Episode 197 – Durophagy (Eating Hard Stuff)	Adaptations for a diet of shells, seeds, bones, and more.
Episode 196 – Boas and Pythons	Snake Month! Two particularly famous groups of snakes.
Episode 195 – Leaves	The main photosynthesis organ of plants. Guest: Aly Baumgartner
Episode 194 – Alligators and Caimans	Croc Month! The alligatorid side of the crocodilian family tree.
Episode 193 – Hopping	Bouncy forms of locomotion used by frogs, rabbits, kangaroos, and more.
Episode 192 – Tongues	Fascinating mouth organs used for feeding, sensing, and even speech across tetrapods.
Episode 191 – Language	Our incredible form of human communication. Guest: Bridget Alex
Episode 190 – Cicadas	Insects famous for their noise and life cycles.
Episode 189 – Dromaeosaurs	Predatory theropod dinosaurs with famous claws and wings.
Episode 188 – Cannibalism	Animals eating their own species, a dietary behavior that isn’t nearly as unusual as is often portrayed.
Episode 187 – Migration	Monumental movements of animals between habitats.
Episode 186 – Owls	Charismatic and successful birds, among the world’s most superbly-adapted predators.
Episode 185 – Cacti	Famous dry-adapted plants with a mysterious past.
Episode 184 – Richard Owen	19th Century anatomist and paleontologist.
Episode 183 – Feathers	Diversity and evolution of integument on birds and other dinosaurs.
Episode 182 – Camouflage	Adaptations for hiding, in the present and the fossil record.
Episode 181 – Dragonflies	Extraordinary insects and their diverse fossil record.
Episode 180 – Filter Feeders	Details and diversity of one of the world’s most common dietary strategies, in the oceans and beyond.
Episode 179 – Thermoregulation	From warm- to cold-blooded creatures, how organisms manage body temperature.
Episode 178 – Ears	Anatomical adaptations for hearing sounds, maintaining balance, and more.
Episode 177 – Neanderthals	Our extinct hominin cousins. Guest: Bridget Alex.
Episode 176 – Hadrosaurs	Amazing herbivorous dinosaurs. Social behavior, teeth, and crests!
Episode 175 – Plant Defenses	Evolved defenses against herbivores, pathogens, and more. Guest: Aly Baumgartner.
Episode 174 – The Mesozoic Marine Revolution	A major change in ocean ecology that set the stage for modern ecosystems.
Episode 173 – Herbivores (Plant-Eaters)	Diets specialized in plants, algae, and more. Origins, evolution, and the rise of modern ecosystems.
Episode 172 – Toothed Whales	Odontocetes! The most diverse cetaceans in our oceans. Dolphins, porpoises, orcas, and more
Episode 171 – The Tethys Sea	Famous ancient oceans throughout Earth History.
Episode 170 – Milk	Mammals and more have evolved substances parents use to nourish their offspring.
Episode 169 – Sea Snakes	Snakes in the oceans! These reptiles have evolved marine lives many times.
Episode 168 – Marine Crocs	Crocodilians of the oceans! How these reptiles adapt to aquatic lives in saltwater.
Episode 167 – Geologic Dating	How do we date ancient rocks and fossils? Radiometric dating and beyond!
Episode 166 – Monotremes	The egg-laying mammals: platypuses, echidnas, and their ancient cousins.
Episode 165 – Fruit	The structures that protect seeds of flowering plants. Guest: Aly Baumgartner!
Episode 164 – The “Boring Billion”	In the Proterozoic, a time of seemingly stagnant climate, tectonics, and life.
Episode 163 – Claws	The anatomy, functions, and evolution of claws, nails, talons, and more.
Episode 162 – Caecilians	Worm-like amphibians, their strange habits, and their scarce fossil record.
Episode 161 – Sleep	The many mysteries of what sleep is, how it evolved, and why we do it.
Episode 160 – The Messel Pit	A famous fossil site in Germany, with well-preserved Eocene fossils.
Episode 159 – Giraffes	The tallest living mammals, their cousins (okapis and more), and how they evolved.
Episode 158 – Charles R. Knight	Renowned paleo-artist of dinosaurs and more. Happy Darwin Day!
Episode 157 – Bioluminescence and Biofluorescence	Many animals glow! How do they do it? And why? And how did this evolve?
Episode 156 – Eurypterids (Sea Scorpions)	The giant arthropods of early Paleozoic oceans.
Episode 155 – Gymnosperms	Conifers, cycads, and more: the original big deal seed plants. Guest: Aly Baumgartner!
Episode 154 – Live Birth	Mammals, marine reptiles, and more. The varied evolution of viviparity.
Episode 153 – Armadillos	Armored xenarthrans and their evolution. Including glyptodonts and more!
Episode 152 – The Jehol Biota	Famous Cretaceous fossil sites in China, home to feathered dinosaurs and more.
Episode 151 – Tails	The anatomy, evolution, and diversity of tails (and also tail-like things).
Episode 150 – Stegosaurs	The plated dinosaurs: Stegosaurus and its cousins.
Episode 149 – Ants	Super successful eusocial insects: their evolution, colony structure, and more.
Episode 148 – Gliding	Not quite flight! Gliding mammals, reptiles, insects, and more.
Episode 147 – Genetics	DNA! How it works and how we use it to understand evolution.
Episode 146 – The Jurassic-Cretaceous Transition	A geologic boundary, a time of transition, extinction, and mystery.
Episode 145 – Photosynthesis	Solar-powered plants, algae, and their chloroplasts. Guest: Aly Baumgartner!
Episode 144 – Evolutionary Gigantism and Dwarfism	The evolutionary trends that lead to giant and small life.
Episode 143 – Monitor Lizards	Komodo dragons, Megalania, and more! A charismatic group of reptiles.
Episode 142 – Phytosaurs	Not quite crocs! Triassic reptiles highly convergent with crocodilians.
Episode 141 – Supercontinents	Pangaea, Rodinia, and the rest. When tectonics brings the continents together.
Episode 140 – Horns and Antlers	The anatomy, function, and evolution of headgear, especially in mammals.
Episode 139 – Vultures	Birds dedicated to scavenging. Including the huge teratorns and other ancient species.
Episode 138 – The Moon	From space, it influences light, tides, and so much more here on Earth.
Episode 137 – Fossilization	How do fossils form? Principles and pitfalls in interpreting the fossil record.
Episode 136 – Seahorses	Weird fish! Their diversity and evolution, and lots of talk of pregnancy.
Episode 135 – Seeds	The reproductive structures of plants, and how they work. Guest: Aly Baumgartner!
Episode 134 – Sanguivores (Blood-Eaters)	Bug, bats, birds, and more. Animals with a liquid diet of blood.
Episode 133 – Symbiosis	Mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism in our bodies and cells.
Episode 132 – Mary and Louis Leakey	Famous paleoanthropologists! Happy Darwin Day! Guest: Meredith Johnson!
Episode 131 – Volcanoes	The geology of volcanism, and how it impacts life on Earth.
Episode 130 – Sense of Smell	Scent serves a variety of functions, and animals have evolved diverse features for smelling.
Episode 129 – Rhinos	The evolution of these famous horned mammals, and their diverse relatives.
Episode 128 – the Deep Sea	How life evolves and thrives in the harsh habitats at the bottom of the ocean.
Episode 127 – The Hell Creek Formation	These North American fossil sites are famous for Late Cretaceous dinosaurs and more.
Episode 126 – Mimicry	Many plants and animals have evolved to imitate each other for various reasons.
Episode 125 – Orchids	A famous and diverse group of flowering plants. Guest: Aly Baumgartner!
Episode 124 – Snowball Earth	The most extreme glacial periods (Ice Ages) in Earth History, back in the Proterozoic Eon.
Episode 123 – Spiders	The evolution and (sparse) fossil record of these diverse eight-legged arthropods.
Episode 122 – Plate Tectonics	This key theory explains how continents move, mountains form, and all the rest of geology.
Episode 121 – Brains	Important organs! We discuss their function and evolution within the nervous system.
Episode 120 – Tyrannosaurs	Evolution and diversity of the most famous dinosaurs: T. rex and cousins.
Episode 119 – India	The geology and fossil history of the Indian subcontinent of Asia.
Episode 118 – Trace Fossils	Footprints, burrows, imprints, and more; how they fossilize and how we study them.
Episode 117 – Crabs and Carcinization	Arthropods in the ocean have evolved crab-like shapes over and over!
Episode 116 – Ichthyosaurs	Evolution and diversity of these famous marine reptiles of the Mesozoic oceans.
Episode 115 – Biomes	Forests, deserts, grasslands, and more. Guest: Aly Baumgartner.
Episode 114 – Polar Life	Evolution and adaptations of life in Arctic and Antarctic habitats.
Episode 113 – Paleoclimate	How we study and understand climate change through time. Guest: Rachel Lupien.
Episode 112 – Caves	Repeated evolution of life adapted to the strange conditions of cavern habitats.
Episode 111 – Eusociality	As seen in ants, bees, and others: history and evolution of colonial organisms.
Episode 110 – Mazon Creek Fossil Beds	Famous Carboniferous fossil sites in Illinois.
Episode 109 – Hyenas	Evolution and lifestyle of these often misunderstood carnivoran mammals.
Episode 108 – Penguins	Evolution and ancient cousins of these flightless ocean-going birds.
Episode 107 – Tusks	A striking feature of anatomy: what is a tusk, and how and why do they evolve?
Episode 106 – Franz Nopcsa	Another historical paleontologist for Darwin Day!
Episode 105 – Carnivorous Plants	Plants that have evolved to eat animals. Guest: Aly Baumgartner.
Episode 104 – Pinnipeds	More mammals of the oceans: seals, sea lions, walruses, and their ancient cousins.
Episode 103 – The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum	Major warming climate event of the Early Cenozoic and its impact on life at the time.
Episode 102 – Parasites	Lifestyle of organisms that live in and on others. Evolved over and over again.
Episode 101 – Sauropods	The biggest dinosaurs! The evolution of their long necks, large bodies, and more.
Episode 100 – the Origin of Life	Evidence and hypotheses for how life began on an early Earth.
Episode 99 – Evolution of Insects	These arthropods are everywhere! Origins and major events in the history of insects.
Episode 98 – Species and Speciation	What is a species? And how do new species come about? A core concept of evolution.
Episode 97 – Venom and Poison	Toxic organisms and the anatomy, behavior, and evolution that make them that way.
Episode 96 – Marsupials	Mammals with pouches: kangaroos, koalas, etc.
Episode 95 – The Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse	Climate change and extinction, especially of plants. Guest: Aly Baumgartner.
Episode 94 – Dogs	Canines and their cousins. Evolution and history of dogs and dog-like mammals.
Episode 93 – Cats	Felines and their cousins. Evolution and history of cats and cat-like mammals.
Episode 92 – Eggs	A hallmark of animal reproduction and amniote evolution. Evolution, anatomy, and functions.
Episode 91 – Frogs	Frogs and toads, the hopping amphibians. Evolution, diversity, and fossil record.
Episode 90 – “Living Fossils”	An often misrepresented term in evolution. Some history, definitions, and scientific debate.
Episode 89 – The Burgess Shale	Famous Cambrian fossil site in Canada. Full of ocean invertebrates and strange animal life.
Episode 88 – Evolution of Teeth	Origins and anatomy of teeth, so important for diets and fossil identification.
Episode 87 – Ceratopsians (Horned Dinosaurs)	Triceratops and its many horned cousins.
Episode 86 – New Zealand	Deep history, fossils, and modern life of the island nation.
Episode 85 – The Ordovician Mass Extinction	Paleozoic mass extinction, the first of the “Big 5.”
Episode 84 – Paleopathology	Signs of injury and disease in fossils. Guest: Laura Emmert
Episode 83 – Coelacanths	Famous lobe-finned fish of modern and ancient oceans.
Episode 82 – Trilobites	Famous fossil invertebrates of the Paleozoic oceans.
Episode 81 – Metamorphosis	An amazing growth strategy in insects, fish, amphibians, and more.
Episode 80 – Mary Anning	Historical pioneer paleontologist. Happy Darwin Day! Guest: Brittney Stoneburg.
Episode 79 – Pterosaurs	The flying reptiles of the Mesozoic Era. Mysterious origins and incredible evolution.
Episode 78 – Exaptation	The evolution of new functions for old features.
Episode 77 – Fins to Feet: The Fish-Tetrapod Transition	The origins and evolution of land vertebrates from fish ancestors.
Episode 76 – Horse Evolution	Origin and evolution of horses, zebras, and all their relatives.
Episode 75 – The Great Oxidation Event	The rise of oxygen ushered a major change for Precambrian life, perhaps even an extinction.
Episode 74 – South America	The deep history and strange fossil forms of South America.
Episode 73 – Trees	Plants growing tall and woody! Guest: Aly Baumgartner.
Episode 72 – Plesiosaurs	Marine reptiles, most famous for their long necks and paddle-flippers.
Episode 71 – The Western Interior Seaway	The ocean that covered North America during the Mesozoic Era.
Episode 70 – Convergent Evolution	The repeated evolution of similar traits for similar functions.
Episode 69 – Ankylosaurs	The armored dinosaurs, diversity and evolution.
Episode 68 – Evolution of Eyes	Anatomy and deep history of organs for vision.
Episode 67 – The La Brea Tar Pits	Famous Ice Age fossils from California.
Episode 66 – Elephants	Mammoths, mastodons, and more. Evolutionary history of massive mammals.
Episode 65 – The Late Devonian Extinction(s)	Another “Big 5” mass extinction, this one at the end of the “Age of Fishes”
Episode 64 – Paleoart	Where art meets paleontology, insights and history. Guest: Gabriel Ugueto.
Episode 63 – Sexual Selection	The many ways evolution is influenced by the pressure to reproduce.
Episode 62 – Amber	Fossilized tree resin, where it’s found, and what treasures it preserves within.
Episode 61 – Behavior in the Fossil Record	How we examine lifestyles and behavior of ancient creatures from fossil evidence.
Episode 60 – Turtles	Bizarre reptiles with a deep and mysterious fossil history.
Episode 59 – Bats	The evolution and hints at the origins of these incredible flying mammals.
Episode 58 – The Bone Wars	An infamous period in North American paleontology history. Cope vs. Marsh.
Episode 57 – The Evolution of Flowering Plants (Angiosperms)	Around the Cretaceous, flowering plants changed the world. Guest: Aly Baumgartner.
Episode 56 – Evolution of Evolutionary Theory	A historical look at evolution, how it started and how it’s changed.
Episode 55 – The “Sixth Extinction” (Modern Biodiversity Crisis)	The mass extinction happening right now. Environmental change and conservation.
Episode 54 – Alfred Russell Wallace	Co-discoverer of evolution. Happy Darwin Day! Guest: Sarah Bray.
Episode 53 – The Baculum (Penis Bone)	A unique and fascinating bone found in some mammals.
Episode 52 – Sounds of the Past (Fossil Bioacoustics)	What fossils tell us about adaptations for noise in ancient animals.
Episode 51 – Mosasaurs	The aquatic lizards, Mesozoic ocean reptiles that took over the oceans.
Episode 50 – Australia	Diversity and deep time on the island continent down under.
Episode 49 – Fake Fossils	Frauds, forgeries, and flukes. Historical examples and their impact on paleontological science.
Episode 48 – Sharks	The evolution and diversity of some of the most famous fish in the oceans.
Episode 47 – Early Synapsids (“Proto-Mammals”)	Mammalian ancestors of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic.
Episode 46 – Cryptozoology	The investigation of creatures that might or might not exist. Mixing science with speculation.
Episode 45 – The Permian Extinction	The worst mass extinction event in Earth history.
Episode 44 – Hybridization	When species mix. How this process ties into genetics and evolution.
Episode 43 – The Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI)	A major event in Earth history, the joining of continents and ecological exchange.
Episode 42 – Spinosaurs	Sail-backed carnivorous dinosaurs with many mysteries still unsolved.
Episode 41 – The Evolution of Whales	Cetaceans, mammals that took to the oceans and left behind an amazing fossil record.
Episode 40 – Madagascar	Biodiversity and deep history of this African island country.
Episode 39 – Speculative Evolution	Hypothetical evolution, for fun and for science.
Episode 38 – Grass	The evolution of these ubiquitous plants and the habitats they create. Guest: Aly Baumgartner.
Episode 37.5 – More Birds	Some more bird discussion: flamingos, terror birds, and giant birds (teratorns and pelagornithids).
Episode 37 – Evolution of Birds	The extensive fossil record documenting how birds emerged within the dinosaur family tree.
Episode 36 – Reefs	Ocean habitats built on the backs of invertebrates like coral.
Episode 35 – De-extinction	Can we undo extinction? Proposed methods, including genetic cloning and selective breeding.
Episode 34 – Ancient DNA	Genetic material in fossils. Methods for collecting, analyzing, and utilizing.
Episode 33 – Ontogeny	Young to adult. Changes in anatomy, physiology, and more in an organism’s development.
Episode 32 – Naracoorte Caves, Australia	Famous fossil sites preserving Pleistocene (Ice Age) marsupials and more.
Episode 31 – The Ediacaran Biota	A Precambrian assemblage of early animal life. Before the Cambian explosion.
Episode 30 – Prehistoric Poop	Coprolites – fossil feces – can tell us tons about ancient lifestyles.
Episode 29 – Placoderms, The Armored Fish	Fish from the Devonian oceans. Dunkleosteus and friends.
Episode 28 – Charles Darwin	History of evolutionary science. Happy Darwin Day! Guest: Sarah Bray.
Episode 27 – Domestication	Artificial selection. The process and history of the evolution of pets, livestock, and more.
Episode 26 – Astrobiology	Life in space! Astronomy meets biology. Searching and speculating.
Episode 25 – The Pleistocene Megafaunal Extinction	Mass extinction of large animals at the end of the Ice Age. A much-studied event.
Episode 24 – Sloths	Strange mammals, including the tree-climbers and the giant Ice Age ground sloths.
Episode 23 – Jurassic Park	Dinosaurs and science in movies! The impact this film has had on paleontology.
Episode 22 – Micropaleontology	The field of science that investigates extremely small fossils.
Episode 21 – Dinosaurs, an Introduction	The famous reptiles of the Mesozoic: diversity, evolution, overview.
Episode 20 – The Scientific Method	The foundations of science research, analysis, experimentation, and theory.
Episode 19 – Women in Paleontology	Some history of the science and a discussion about diversity. Guest: Michelle Barboza-Ramirez.
Episode 18B – Human Evolution Part 2	Our closest relatives and ancestors. Neanderthals, Denisovans, and more.
Episode 18 – Human Evolution Part 1	Very familiar mammals! How our lineage emerged among primates.
Episode 17 – The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP)	Reporting from the annual science conference: fossils, new research, and more.
Episode 16 – Cephalopods	Octopus, squid, cuttlefish, ammonites, nautilus, and more. Ocean invertebrates.
Episode 15 – The end-Triassic Mass Extinction	This event marks the border of the Triassic and Jurassic. Kicks off the “Age of Dinosaurs.”
Episode 14 – The Gray Fossil Site	Amazing Pliocene site in Tennessee. History, discovery, major finds.
Episode 13 – The Fossil Preparation Lab	Preserving fossils in the museum. Guests: Shawn Haugrud, Shay Maden, Davis Gunnin.
Episode 12 – The Geologic Time Scale	How do scientists organize and understand the events in the history of the Earth?
Episode 11 – Antarctica	Fossils and geologic history of this (currently) frozen southern continent.
Episode 10 – The Tree of Life	How do scientists organize and understand the relationships of living things?
Episode 9 – The Cambrian Explosion	A major boost in early animal life. Start of the Paleozoic Era.
Episode 8 – Conservation Paleontology	Using the fossil record to help in protecting endangered species today.
Episode 7 – Primates	Mammals like us! Monkeys, apes, and more. Guest: Ethan Fulwood.
Episode 6 – Evolution of Flight	Insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats. How they took wing.
Episode 5 – The K-Pg Extinction (the “Dinosaur Extinction”)	End of the Cretaceous. Asteroid impact and global destruction. Mass extinction.
Episode 4 – Island Evolution	Natural selection gets weird in isolation: giant and dwarf species, flightlessness, and more.
Episode 3 – Snakes!	David’s favorite animals! Long, legless reptiles. Technically lizards.
Episode 2 – Crocodilians Past and Present	Will’s favorite animals! Crocodiles, alligators, gharials, and the other croc-y reptiles.
Episode 1 – The Field of Paleontology	The science of fossils, evolution, and ancient life on Earth.