Episode notes
Teeth evolved to be sensitive first, thank you very much - the whole “use for eating” thing was actually an evolutionary afterthought. And whatever ratfish are doing with them is… not correct. CW: tenaculums & triggering medical procedures, cursing, dick shaped objects, trypophobia & odontophobia
Podcast
Weird & Dead
Amy Atwater and Meaghan Wetherell · Tech & Science · English
A podcast about evolution's most embarrassing and bizarre stories as told by two very gossipy paleontologists. Amy and Meaghan happily dish the details on everything from fossilized dinosaur butts to the secret drama behind naming new species. Time for the hottest tea from prehistory!
More from Weird & Dead All episodes →
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S4 · E9 · 8 Oct 2026 · 44 min
Silly Scaly Trees (Butt Rot Part 1)
In this episode Meaghan dives deep into her latest obsession: modelling 300 million year old plants for the bit. Join us for part 1 of a 2 part episode on wood, rotten and otherwise! Images on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/WeirdandDeadPodcast CW: Cursing, horrifying baby Lepidodendrons , animals shedding skins, bog people
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S4 · E8 · 24 Sep 2026 · 44 min
Evolution of the Beaver Butt
Rodents have stinky butts too y’know - it’s just we seem to be into that smell a lot more than we are skunk. Let’s once again revisit Amy’s cloaca envy and talk about waterproofing butt goop flavored ice cream shall we? CW: all things that come out of a cloaca, cursing, animal death, eating of unpleasant things.
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10 Sep 2026 · 46 min
Evolution of the Skunk Butt
When did skunks get their characteristic butts? How does skunk spraying work and how do you get rid of it? We dig into the whys and wherefores of the skunk stank butt and watch a video so disgusting that Amy couldn't even relisten to herself reacting to it. (Images and video are on Patreon!) CW : cursing, butt nipples, animal death, skunk spray and its results, use of skunk spray against protestors and Palestinians
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S4 · E6 · 27 Aug 2026 · 48 min
Clam Jam
There's a clam called Vulvaceramus. Or Volviceramus, if you are no fun. Let's talk about giant clams, pearls, and how Amy overidentifies with certain minerals. CW: Vagina jokes, obviously. Cursing. Gossip.
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S4 · E4 · 30 Jul 2026 · 55 min
Fossil Unicorns
We narrow down the closest fossil candidate for that virgin-loving legend, the Unicorn, as Meaghan finds yet another excuse to talk about how cool artiodactyls are. Photos on Patreon! CW: Cursing, animal experiments, dildo discussion, the pitfalls of intelligent design
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16 Jul 2026 · 58 min
Clever Hurl
Filter-feeding pterosaurs and the dinosaurs that ate them and then threw them back up - a love story? CW: Vomit, Vomit eating (for romance), Scavenging (also for romance), Crop milk (platonic), Dinosaur slander, and of course... cursing.
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2 Jul 2026 · 47 min
Exploding Fossil Frogs
Some frogs are explosive breeders. Some frogs just explode. Both have somehow been preserved in lakes in Europe... a lot. CW: Frog death, frogs drowning each other during mating, frog researchers forgetting key feminist frog facts, bloat & float & explode as a concept, cursing Images for this episode are available for everyone on Patreon!
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S4 · E1 · 18 Jun 2026 · 52 min
The Evolution of Scrotums
What makes a scrotum a scrotum, why do they exist, and why is Meaghan so good at answering quiz questions about them? CW: Testicles & mockery thereof, animal castration, hernias, cursing
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11 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 33 min
The Epstein Files and Paleontology
This episode is a little different than our normal content. There are several paleontologists mentioned in the latest release of the Epstein files, and the official response to that has been... underwhelming. In this episode we tell you about the facts within the files, the paleo people identified, some important context, and the reasons that events like this concern us and negatively affect paleontology as a field. CW: sexual assault, sexual harassment, Epstein's convictions for sexual assault of a minor, PTSD symptoms, eugenics
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