Episode notes
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 episode, we explore the various features and habits that make gharials unique among crocs, and which have caused no end of confusion for scientists trying to sort out their evolutionary history. And, of course, we’ll take a trip into the fossil record to visit some of the most extraordinary long-snouted crocs of the distant past. In the news:…
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
More from The Common Descent Podcast
-
E377 · 19 Jul 2026 · 2 hr 56 min
Episode 248 - Big Cats
Felines come in all shapes and sizes, but only a handful of them are large enough and in charge enough to have earned the title of “Big Cats.” This episode, we’re joined by special guest Lindsay Nikole as we take a tour through the surprising diversity of the “official” and “unofficial” big cats, and we explore how their evolutionary past has shaped this impressive assortment of apex predators. Find more of Lindsay here: https://www.youtube.com/@LindsayNikole And shout-out to the Cheetah Conservation Fund: https://cheetah.org/ In the news: giant sharks, early movements, Cretaceous fruits,…
-
E376 · 16 Jul 2026 · 57 min
Snake Stuff with Ali Ashraf
Happy Snake Month! In this bonus episode, we're joined by friend of the podcast Ali Ashraf to talk about his research on the distribution and evolution of water snakes! This month only! Join the Snakes & Crocs Tier on our Patreon to receive a Snake Month sticker and to contribute to charitable donations toward reptile and other wildlife conservation!www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast This year, our donations are going toward:Save the Snakeshttps://savethesnakes.org/The Crocodile Research Coalitionhttps://crocodileresearchcoalition.org/The Natural Resources Defense…
-
E375 · 5 Jul 2026 · 3 hr 16 min
Episode 247 – Vipers
Happy Snake Month! Some of the most fascinating, famous, and dangerous snakes on the planet belong to the family Viperidae. Vipers include some of the world’s most specialized ambush hunters, and they are one of the most diverse and successful groups of snakes. This episode, we take a tour through the many visages of vipers, we explore their unique adaptations from head to tail, and we investigate the deep history that led them to their incredible modern success. In the news: colorful crocs, pregnant mussels, tiny migration, and surprising snakes. Time markers: Intro & Announcements:…
-
E373 · 17 Jun 2026 · 57 min
Croc Chat with Maddie Turala
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 Month sticker and to contribute to charitable donations toward reptile and other wildlife conservation!www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast This year, our donations are going toward:The Crocodile Research Coalitionhttps://crocodileresearchcoalition.org/Save the Snakeshttps://savethesnakes.org/The Natural Resources Defense Councilhttps://www.nrdc.org/…
-
E372 · 7 Jun 2026 · 2 hr 15 min
Episode 245 - Cycads
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 their deep history, and whether they truly deserve their reputation as dinosaur food. In the news: toothless crocs, Arctic mammals, turtle relations, and crater life. Time markers:Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00News: 00:10:35Main discussion, Part 1: 00:41:00Main discussion, Part 2: 01:25:55Patron question: 02:00:45 Check out our website for this…
-
E371 · 24 May 2026 · 2 hr 28 min
Episode 244 - Sea Turtles
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 surprising number of ancient lineages that have taken to the seas and the surprising forms some of them have taken. In the news: twisted jaws, early centipedes, Ediacaran microbes, and Neanderthal teeth Time markers:Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00News: 00:04:45Main discussion, Part 1: 00:43:50Main discussion, Part 2: 01:30:10Patron question: 02:14:60…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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:…
Take it with you
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
