Most vertebrate animals on land get around on all fours, but some of us have committed to two-legged locomotion. This episode, we explore the various ways animals have evolved bipedalism and the many benefits that come with it. We’ll also take a look at how we identify bipedal animals in the fossil record, and we’ll zoom in on the evolutionary story behind Earth history’s most successful bipeds.

In the news: potato origins, trilobite legs, bone worm burrows, and australopithecine sexes.

Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:35 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:15 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:10:50 Patron question: 02:05:55

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Mutation. It is the key to our evolution. As our cells constantly divide and reproduce and replicate our DNA, errors and inconsistencies develop, leading to the incredible variation of life that drives evolutionary change. This episode, we explore the genetic mechanisms behind mutation and we discuss how scientists study mutations to understand the evolutionary history of life on Earth.

In the news: Neanderthal tools, caiman food, dancing dinosaurs, and ancient integument.

Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:09:25 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:40:50 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:35:00 Patron question: 02:28:55

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

On the outside, shrews might seem like standard tiny mammals, but their anatomy and lifestyle are highly specialized. This episode, with help from special guest Derek den Ouden, we explore the diverse habits of shrews, the anatomical features that set them apart, and how they thrive worldwide despite being perpetually on the brink of starvation. Then, we consider the extinct diversity of shrews in the fossil record.

In the news: stubborn bass, choking fish, tomato defenses, and some really old rocks.

Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:09:35 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:45:25 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:40:50 Patron question: 02:12:35

Find Derek online at @DenoudenDerek

Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Check out our friends’ new data management app, Cnidarity: https://cnidarity.com/

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0