The Common Descent Podcast

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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.Before the main discussion, each episode also includes a news segment, covering recent research related to paleontology and evolution.Each episode ends with the answer to a question submitted by subscribers on Patreon.New episodes with new topics every fortnight!

Recent Episodes
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Recent Reviews
  • Dianedm
    Perfect format and so much knowledge
    I found this podcast because I was fascinated by the Western Interior Seaway. So listened to that episode. I have been hooked since. Although paleontology is not my field (I am in environmental science) I love the little bits of geology, ecology, meteorology that I find here. Also, I love the format of this podcast. I am easily overstimulated and this laid back in depth dive is exactly how I can take in information. THANK YOU!!
  • Mr. Dr. Burns
    Best Theropod show out there!
    I have been looking for the perfect prehistory podcast for years. I went to Reddit and wrote down every suggestion I could find and I began listening to the bunch. By far, these guys are absolutely the best. Their pace is fantastic, and the news is a must listen. Favorite science podcast. I can’t stop recommending it.
  • love is blue 618
    Came for the news, stayed for the enthusiasm
    Will and David’s enthusiasm for learning and for everything Earth history can get me excited about even– no, ESPECIALLY the most niche of topics. The dedication they put into research and charisma in delivery make this podcast an essential part of my library.
  • Extant Hominin
    I love this so much
    Anyone who loves science and history of life on earth, i cannot recommend this podcast highly enough. I love learning new things, and I love finding good educational content from all kinds of different fields of study. I’m also a chronic anxiety gremlin. One day, I stumbled across this! The show is so well researched and the hosts are entertaining! It keeps my mind off things while close my eyes and listen and I learn new stuff about the world. By the time the show is done all I’m thinking about is how frikkin awesome tectonic plates are or vestigial structures or whatever the topic was. Anyway listening to this whenever my brain just won’t shut up had been such a pleasure and now I have new random facts to add to my overflowing bucket of random facts I dump on unsuspecting people at random. Will, David, thanks for making this I’ve had so much fun nerding out to it.
  • PBlink
    the perfect podcast
    was doing some research on tetrapods and stumbled upon this podcast and I think it’s the most perfect form of media. I love the hosts do so much
  • MKULTRA83
    Awesome
    Great show, keep it up
  • phobosnotdeimos
    My load-bearing support beam podcast <3
    Been there for me for years. No notes. I don’t think y’all could run out of topics I would listen to. Love from Chatt.
  • Michael Rosen789
    thank you!
    absolutely adore this podcast! love your guys' enthusiasm
  • cicadafan
    great science podcast
    thank you for the great episode on extinction and cicadas! wish had found this podcast before its really good
  • Franklin box
    Can’t over-recommend.
    An absolute joy.
  • LuvWallpaperzYasss!!!
    Absolutely Recommend
    Hi! As someone who has listened to every episode and has loved this podcast for almost a year, I would like to recommend it to you, dear reader. If you are interested in prehistoric life, evolution, and fossils but you don’t want pretentious hosts or mind melting technical discussions, this one is for you. The hosts are so hilarious and dorky (in the best way possible!!), they really make you feel like you’re with them having a friendly conversation in the corner of a museum lounge with beverages and treats. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give them a shot this summer!!! 🦕🦖
  • Dino girl 25
    Politics
    Keep your politics out of your podcast.
  • jesseason3
    Accessible enough for kids, interesting and detailed enough for adults
    Only listen to a few episodes so far, but we love it. The dragonflies episode was particularly good as one of my children is currently in a insect phase. Hopefully they will do an episode on cockroaches!
  • Frinkus Wimble
    Wonderful at all levels
    This podcast has everything I want out of a paleontology podcast. Good science communication, genuine interest in every topic, and plenty of jokes or references that show scientists are people too. Keep up the great work!
  • Klunckychris
    Paleontology!
    I’ve always wanted to be a paleontologist since I was a kid and now as an adult in a science field I kind of want to get back into it. So I started listening to many podcasts on paleontology and this one is one of my favorites! Lots of facts and lots of sources and the guests talks are great as well.
  • Merwyn P. Parperbarr
    Great show, and also great to fall asleep to
    It’s interesting enough to distract me from my daily worries, but not so exciting that it keeps me awake. Still, I go back and re-start where I fell asleep last time, because it really is interesting, so it’s really the perfect show for my insomnia.
  • aklicko
    On my top three
    I have been listening since episode nine. This is in my top three favorite podcasts
  • Zumba girl pa
    My favorite podcast
    These 2 best friends and paleontologists are hilarious and informative! They make every topic fascinating and you can tell they love what they do! Take a listen!
  • Brrrrodine
    This is a great one!
    It’s hard to find podcasts on science topics that don’t start with the assumption that all non-scientist listeners need to be talked to like 6th graders. I stumbled upon Will and David talking about pterosaurs a few years back while looking for multi-hour interesting shows that could accompany long backcountry skis and runs. A hundred plus episodes later and I’ve learned a lot! From someone who has read and listened to a lot of science/non fiction material, these guys have a special talent for condensing, communicating, and entertain-ifying subject matter. They are destined for big things ahead.
  • Lixroxxxxxxx
    Archaeology life saver
    Love this show because it’s makes me a better archaeologist in the field as someone who focused on humans only, learning about the other living creatures and processes of evolution and extinctions seriously helps me when I’m excavating.
  • RBaker221
    A fun dive into paleontology
    My favorite podcast. I’ve been working my way through episodes from the beginning and enjoyed all of them. I’ve seen some reviews complain about too much banter/joking around, but for me that’s one of the draws. I love when science presenters act like they enjoy what they’re talking about.
  • Brightstargirl
    My favorite podcast
    I started a bunch of paleo podcasts at the same time. I listen to them all but this is the one that I go though the archives on. I love how excited they get talking about things. I love the deep dives into single topics. I love the accessible information. Update: this has become the only podcast I want to listen to. I love that they really enjoy the material and each other’s company. Other podcasts are spoiled for me because they don’t like the material they are talking about or there is an undercurrent between the presenters. This is so refreshing to have. People complaining about how long it takes to get to the content there is a skip ahead button. That is rather standard for podcasts they are a slower media than others.
  • Meitheimh
    Research an inch deep
    I listened to Spook-E Sea Serpents as a test since I am the author of the book The Great New England Sea Serpent. Their research is almost comically superficial. They made no reference to the greatest Sea Serpent researcher of all time Bernard Heuvelmans, nor did they reference Rupert Gould or Loren Coleman. Clearly they read the equivalent of an encyclopedia entry on sea serpents and are pretending that they know what they are talking about. In discussing the famous Daedalus sighting, they get nearly every detail wrong. They get the origin of Scoliophis atlanticus wrong. Find a podcast where they do actual research and know something, anything about what they're speaking about.
  • Harvey Butthole
    Amazing show
    Will tell everyone and their grandma to listen to this. Love learning new cool evolutionary things from you guys. Keep it up!!
  • Galgal6
    New favorite
    Just discovered this podcast. I am loving it. The snake episode convinced me that snakes are better than crocodiles, but I still think birds are the coolest animals.
  • M.W.2900
    Love. This Podcast.
    This podcast has repeatedly gotten me through mind numbingly dreary days and has been a great listen. One thing though (basically my own mini rant) is that I have been waiting on the episode about dragons that they promised, other than that it’s an amazing podcast and definitely binge worthy.
  • Broken heart ranch
    Great info Terrible presentation!
    The info is great! The presentation is a punch of chatter, talk over and mixed cadence!!
  • Jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjk
    New favorite podcast
    Fell in love and became a Patreon within the first week of finding this podcast. Edit-more than a year later, still my favorite. (No podcast has ever topped my personal charts for more than a year)
  • tmcevs
    Really informative and clever
    I basically stumbled upon this podcast via a general interest in ancient history and human migration and, although I love science, I don't know much about paleontology (or, thanks to this podcast, "didn't know much.") That said, I really love this podcast for how densely packed it is with great science and fun banter between the hosts. They have a nice balance between true geeky science and a light humorous touch. Kinda makes me think I stumbled into the paleontology club in high school where there were only two guys but ended up joining because it was so fun. Great job!!! Also, I really appreciate the host's level of preparation and focus on the topics. Very smart.
  • Evil Scok Monkey
    Informative, Entertaining, and Engaging
    Hosts David and Will display real enthusiasm for their subject matter- even the non-reptilian topics! Good research, clear descriptions and explanations, and nerd humor abound in every episode. The huge back catalog will keep you captivated for hours if not days.
  • Dabilge
    So many great topics
    This is my favorite podcast by far. This got me through traveling between clinical rotations (it just happened to line up perfectly with our two-week block schedules) and there's always such an amazing variety of topics, but every topic is well-researched and presented. They also did a pathology episode that I (among others) requested which was super neat!!
  • PodcastPope
    10/10 Listen if you’re patient.
    What a show. The time seems long but the whole show of an easy, pleasant, educational listen week after week. The news segments give variety to each episode and each week’s topic has enough scope to engage every listener. My current binge, love these guys.
  • drbraingeek
    Smart and never pretentious
    Dave and Will (and Aly!) always do a great job of covering their awesome topics with enough sophisticated depth to satisfy geeks in that given subfield (looking at you, Brain episode) while also communicating with a simple clarity that, not only is inclusive of the newest enthusiasts to the topic, but also manages to never “dumb” things down to the point of inaccuracy or making a person feel patronized. You set the bar high for my own goals in teaching and communicating effectively.
  • Eddie from Townsend
    Love it
    When I started listening it was more just a podcast of pleasant white noise to help me sleep. No offense. As I continue to listen to the podcast with more attention, extraordinary themes of truth are revealed.
  • jeniag1
    So fun and educational
    I just started this podcast a few weeks ago and have learned so much. Thank you for all your hard work. As a Tennessean, I’m looking forward to visiting the Grey site this summer!
  • Furxy
    Superb!
    This is a highly informative show with just a touch of giggling that prevents it from sounding like an 8am lecture. Every episode is rich in detail and the snippets of news at the top are an added bonus. The companion blog is also fantastic and really puts a bow on the already impressive episodes. The hosts are excellent and their passion for the topics they discuss really come through!
  • moneycash03
    exceptional
    my favorite podcast! have never been disapointed by an episode. well spoken, interesting, thought provoking. my favorite part is the news in the begining- i have a growing list of the coolest academic journals i hear of from the news. they even answered a dino question i asked!!! i love this podcast
  • unvoyageur
    I really wanted to like this podcast.
    I enjoy science podcasts, and really want to like this one. The hosts have a lot of great knowledge to impart. Unfortunately, they clown around a lot and seem to like to show each other how clever they are. IMHO, all the cheesy goofing around detracts from the subject matter.
  • maggiem79
    Amazing every time
    They are so full of enthusiasm and knowledge! Always make me excited to learn. On my top three podcasts.
  • trin massey
    Great podcast
    I love the enthusiasm and excitement for learning really makes a great show. Love the whoo hou😊
  • Skreegz
    Great show
    These two dudes really got their knowledge down. They also have a lot of fun and it shows. Really good show.
  • JPerotin
    Very informative and well presented - but a little too ‘lighthearted’
    This is a great podcast for keeping up to speed on the latest discoveries in paleontology, and listening at length about different groups of animals. The 2 presenters do their research before each show. My only small gripe would be the excessive laughter / giddiness on their part that blankets the podcast. It’s great that they appear to be genuinely happy and want to convey that to the audience, but the laughing and joking that seems to occur after every other sentence is a bit much, at least for myself. All in all a very informative show though.
  • Fatmat007
    Best science podcast I have listened to
    Nick and David are the best science communicators I have ever heard. Their enthusiasm for each topic really comes through, and they manage to make every topic am interesting and entertaining. Probably my favorite podcast and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone wanting to learn anything about anything.
  • historynerd1701
    Could be perfect except...
    Great duo, knowledgeable on the subjects, perfect balance between academia jargon and laymen’s speak, and high marks for great chemistry! Could be perfect except: Stop yelling WOO HOO!!!!!!!! Every episode is like this: “Today’s topic is a snake” “WOO HOO!!!!”
  • bates009
    superb podcast
    Just found this podcast recently and can’t stop listening to it. The hosts do a wonderful job at explaining everything and my love and knowledge of the prehistoric world has grown since listening. The hosts passion and immense knowledge of paleontology really shines through and I cannot recommend it enough.
  • Elizabeth3e
    Multi-faceted! 💎
    This podcast is an experience! With witty banter and a mix of seriousness and humor, David and Will explore everything from what’s deep under our feet to the far reaches of outer space. From deep time to the present day, they cover news, common events, history, science, and of course dinosaurs and fossils. And don’t miss those extra episodes where they review movies and talk about mythical creatures! If I knew these guys in person, I’d want them to be my friends. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
  • Browncrew54
    Wonderful
    The CD podcast has helped me rediscover my love for the prehistoric world. They do an excellent job of covering topics in entertaining and engaging ways! Love these guys!
  • Ysbyrd B
    Best podcast since the history of Rome
    Hey guys keep up the good work !!!!
  • hanibl
    Excellent
    The best podcast ever. I’m serious. Also, keep up the jokes, I laugh out loud on every episode.
  • Kr8peace
    Get to the point…
    First five minutes of absolutely nothing worthwhile to any listener. This was my first listen and didn’t stick around for any possible real show, I find this extremely irritating and unacceptable. We are busy, get to it. This is how you lose listeners, by not getting them in the first few minutes!
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