Episode notes
Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and speculating upon how they – or something like them – might evolve in real life, pulling inspiration from species throughout our planet’s history! This episode, we take a tour of the Paradox Pokémon. Where on the tree of life could we find a pair of dragons built for battle and all-terrain travel? Our creatures to create this time: Koraidon and Miraidon. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Pok-É discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Join…
The Common Descent Podcast
by Common Descent · English · Tech & Science
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. B
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E355 · 7 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
Pok-É – Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza
Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and speculating upon how they – or something like them – might evolve in real life, pulling inspiration from species throughout our planet’s history! This episode, we take on the super-ancient Pokémon of Hoenn. How could natural selection result in masters of the sea, land, and sky embroiled in an endless feud? Our creatures to create this time: Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Pok-É discussion!…
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E359 · 3 Mar 2026 · 2 hr 24 min
Patron Mini-Episode Compilation #7
One of the benefits our Patrons can receive is a personalized mini-episode on an animal of their choice! Every now and then, we throw them together into a compilation for all to enjoy! As always, an enormous thanks to all of our wonderful Patrons! Time markers:Basal Ornithopods for Aaron: 00:02:00Orangutans for Justin: 00:22:30Tardigrades for Jeff: 00:54:25Trilobites for Timpaxew: 01:16:55Rauisuchians for Ryan: 01:36:45Ravens for Bogdraw: 01:56:15 Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Got a topic you want to hear…
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E360 · 1 Mar 2026 · 2 hr 36 min
Episode 238 - Osteoderms (Skin Bones)
Some bones are only skin deep! In many species of reptiles, mammals, and amphibians, bones called osteoderms develop within the skin, serving as body armor, additional muscular support, display features, or any number of other functions. This episode, we explore the extraordinary diversity of osteoderm anatomy, we take a tour through the many and varied osteoderms of Earth history, and we investigate a long list of hypothesized functions for these unusual bones. In the news: reptile skin, dinosaur quills, dinosaur bites, and cannibal snakes. Time markers:Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00News:…
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E353 · 21 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 3 min
Pok-É – Zygarde
Welcome ... to Pok-É! This year is the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, so we’re picking some of our favorite Legendary Pokémon and speculating upon how they – or something like them – might evolve in real life, pulling inspiration from species throughout our planet’s history! This episode, we grapple with the Order Pokémon. What biological explanations can we find for an ecological guardian of many, many faces? Our creature to create this time: Zygarde. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Pok-É discussion! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev Join us on Patreon to support the…
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E358 · 15 Feb 2026 · 3 hr 8 min
Episode 237 - The Dinosaur Renaissance
In the mid-to-late 20th Century, dinosaurs received a major makeover in their scientific and popular image. This episode, Riley Black takes us through the timeline of the Dinosaur Renaissance. We discuss some of the big scientific milestones and the various players which brought dinosaurs into their modern era, and we’ll explore the early signs and lingering notes of this historic shift. In the news: sleepy jellyfish, fast mammals, bird beaks, and dinosaur diets. Find Riley in these places:https://rileyblack.net/…
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E385 · 10 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 3 minNew
Spook-E - Greys
Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. It’s Spook-E Season! All throughout October, we pick monsters from myth and media and speculate how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Aliens! This episode, we explore the mysterious beings (supposedly) in our own backyard! What evolutionary path can we devise for round-headed, eerie beings lurking just beyond our understanding? Our creatures to create this time: Greys. Join the Common Descent Discord server for more Spook-E discussion!…
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E383 · 3 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 42 min
Spook-E - Xenomorphs
Welcome ... to Spookulative Evolution. Spook-E Season is back! All throughout October, we pick monsters from myth and media and speculate how they – or something like them – could evolve here on Earth, pulling inspiration from real-world species across our planet’s history. This year’s theme is Aliens! Where better to begin than with the quintessential big screen terrors from beyond the stars? How might Earth-based evolution produce a human-hunting monster that’s equal parts predator and parasitoid? Our creatures to create this time: Xenomorphs. Join the Common Descent Discord server for…
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E382 · 27 Sep 2026 · 2 hr 43 min
Episode 253 - Kangaroos
Kangaroos – and their wallaroo and wallaby cousins – are some of the most recognizable, charismatic, and impressively strange mammals on the planet. This episode, we explore the surprising diversity of this group, we discuss how they manage to be world’s pre-eminent hoppers, and we delve into some of their unexpected fossil relatives. In the news: warm tyrannosaurs, sea star ancestors, traveling dinosaurs, and new cats. Time Markers:Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00News: 00:06:35Main discussion, Part 1: 00:50:30Main discussion, Part 2: 01:36:40Patron question: 02:32:45 Join us on Patreon to…
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E381 · 13 Sep 2026 · 2 hr 11 min
Episode 252 - The Ice Age
About 10% of the Earth’s land surface is currently covered in persistent glacial ice, but for most of Earth history, that number was much closer to zero. This episode, we explore what happens when ice overtakes our planet and how we investigate icy conditions of the distant past, and we’ll take a close look at the most recent (and ongoing) global climate event that we commonly call the Ice Age. In the news: distant space objects, snake embryos, Jurassic chirps, and polar dinosaur nests. Time Markers:Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00News: 00:05:35Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:35Main…
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E380 · 30 Aug 2026 · 2 hr 44 min
Episode 251 - The Sun
The Sun is kind of a big deal. It is the center of our solar system, around which all other objects revolve, and its heat and light are responsible for the life-supporting conditions here on Earth. This episode, we take a close look at how the Sun actually works and what makes it different from other stars. Then, we track the lifetime of the Sun, exploring how it originally formed, how it has changed over its lifetime, and how it will eventually burn out. In the news: carnivorous plants, ancient burrowers, live birth, and reptile metabolism. Time Markers:Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00News:…
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