Common Descent

We're on BlueSky now! Hello! We are Common Descent, a podcast about paleontology, evolution, and the history of life on Earth! We release episodes every fortnight! Each one focuses on a topic requested by our audience! commondescentpodcast.com

Spook-E Season is here! We evolve our first aliens TOMORROW!

Earth is a generally warm planet, but every now and then it is overtaken by ice. This episode, we explore the causes and effects of icy conditions over time, with a special look at the recent (and ongoing) event called The Ice Age. commondescentpodcast.com/2026/09/12/e...

Surprises await in the Ordovician Period!

Sometimes, you can just tape two plants together and they’ll become one plant. How does that even work?

What if there were Pokémon that represented the very beginning of Earth history? Episode 2 of Pokémon Sand and Bone is out now! youtu.be/zDUOQQ23nck

The most recent episode of @commondescentpod.bsky.social is about Big Cats, and it's not just fascinating thanks to guest Lindsay Nikole, but so educational. I learned so much about the evolution of these animals (and even our evolution a bit, too!). commondescentpodcast.com/2026/07/18/e...

A new video series appeared! Pokémon Sand and Bone is a series where David comes up with ideas for Pokémon inspired by Earth history! Episode 1 is out now! Follow along!

Most of the world’s felines are pretty small, but the largest ones are famously important to ecosystems and human culture alike. This episode, we explore the various faces of the official (and unofficial) Big Cats. With special guest @lindsaynikole.bsky.social

Join us Wednesday for our SNAKE MONTH LIVESTREAM! It'll be full of Snake News, Snake Science, and all-around Snake Appreciation! youtube.com/live/y3JEsTu...

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.

Our Croc Month Livestream starts in 15 minutes! Come for croc news and croc appreciation! www.youtube.com/live/KlPknkI...

Join us for our 🐊Croc Month Livestream!🐊 We'll catch up on news from the world of crocs and chat with our listeners!

A relatively small group of plants with a debatable reputation as dinosaur food, our focus for this episode is the history of Cycads.

Sometimes there are plants where we don’t want them! What makes weeds so … weedy? Why do we dislike them so much? And is a weed truly in the eye of the beholder?

They’re the one lineage carrying on the legacy of the giant Mesozoic marine reptiles. This episode, we explore the modern and fossil diversity of Sea Turtles.

A lot of the life on Earth is hidden away underground! This episode, we explore the many forms and deep history of Burrowers.

Starting now!

Leaf it to Us Season 2 has begun!

Our Silver Screen Science Livestream is this week! Join us to chat about Old School Dinosaur movies!

Season 2 is about to bloom! The Trailer is out today, and Episode 1 drops on May 7th! Please consider joining us on Patreon and Discord to keep updated and engage with our lovely community! And join us for something new: Reading Between the Pines, our plant-themed book club! More details soon!

Our final episode of our Old School DInos series! This episode, we’re wrapping things up with a tale of cowboys and dinosaurs in The Valley of Gwangi!

Our planet is very flammable. For hundreds of millions of years, life on Earth has evolved to survive and even thrive among the flames. This episode, we discuss the deep history and ecology of Fire.

This episode, we visit a classic of mid-century caveman-versus-dinosaur cinema, with One Million Years B.C.

This episode, we compile and compare a handful of dino-themed short films from the early days of dinosaur movies: Gertie the Dinosaur, The Ghost of Slumber Mountain, and the Rite of Spring segment from Disney’s Fantasia.

The world is full of food. To make the most of it, living organisms need to break it down and extract the useful nutrients. This episode, we explore the incredible diversity of Digestion.

Silver Screen Science is our series where we explore science on the big screen and beyond. This year, we’re taking a tour through cinematic history with Old School Dinosaurs! This episode, we start things off with the great grand-daddy of dinosaur movies: The Lost World (1925).

For most of the Cenozoic Era, South America was home to a fascinating group of predatory birds which included some of the largest birds of all time. This episode, we explore the diversity, diets, and details of Terror Birds.

Creatures of the night!

I would like to thank @commondescentpod.bsky.social for being a wonderful break from the horrors. Strong recommend for anyone who likes science and needs to drown out the terror of our modern times for a couple of hours.

The last episode of Pok-É! 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.

Some bones are only skin deep, serving as armor, support, or any number of other important functions. This episode, we discuss the diverse shapes and services of Osteoderms.

More Pok-É! 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.

This one's a doozy! 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.

Tune in for a great discussion on Dinosaur History! Thanks so much for joining us Riley!

@restingdinoface.bsky.social joins us for a journey through the evolution of dinosaur science of the 20th Century!

Pok-É continues! This episode, we confront the Renegade Pokémon. From what ancestors might we get a many-limbed monster from a parallel world? Our creature to create this time: Giratina.

Welcome ... to Pok-É! This episode, we set our sights on the Diving Pokémon. How might evolution produce a sea-dwelling bird with a knack for stirring up storms? Our creature to create this time: Lugia. Listen now!

Publishing later this month: "Let’s Botanize! 101 Ways to Connect with Plants" (Hachette) by By Ben Goulet-Scott and Jacob S. Suissa. A doff of my deerstalker to the nice people at @commondescentpod.bsky.social for the tip. #Booksky #botany www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/ben-g...

Among all of the ancient mammals, few are as unusual as the “gorilla-horses” who swapped their hooves for claws. This episode, we discuss the long confusing history of Chalicotheres.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, we're expanding the Spook-E-verse with some speculatively-evolved Legendary Pokémon. Five episodes, starting February 7th.

Our Anniversary Livestream is this week! Wednesday, January 28th at 7pm US Eastern Time! Celebrate Nine Years of Common Descent with Q&A, chit-chat, and Special Announcements!

Gorgeous!

Common Descent turns NINE YEARS OLD next week! Join us in celebrating with an Anniversary Livestream, Wednesday January 28th at 7pm US Eastern Time! There will be chit-chat, Q&A, and special announcements!

All plants need water, but some take it to the extreme. This episode, Dr. Aly Baumgartner joins us to explore the many life strategies of plants that live in the water!

Great shirt!

From deep-sea trenches to your home garden, gastropods are among the most diverse and successful animals in Earth history. This episode, we explore the incredible evolutionary story of Snails and Slugs.

Happy New Year! Please enjoy our annual question-answering marathon, now longer than ever! Thank you so much to everyone who listens, shares, and supports the podcast.