Evolution Talk

When it comes to personal IDs, we have many.  There’s your driver’s license, passport, online username, among other human-made forms of proving who you are.  Then there are those that nature gave you that’s yours and yours alone.  Like your DNA. And then there are your fingerprints.  Other than leaving incriminating evidence behind if you’ve committed a crime and weren't careful enough to wipe them away or wear gloves, what are fingerprints good for? Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Swingland by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6625-swingland, Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 009 by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8224-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-009, Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-lice

Attics aren’t the only places you’ll find old secrets from the past, begging to be rediscovered or let out. You have them in you as well. I’m not talking about the the type of secrets you keep to yourself and only tell close friends. I’m talking about those like the ones you’ll find in old attics.  Secrets you don't even know are there.  These secrets are locked in your DNA. Every once in a while, those secrets come back to haunt us. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Swingland by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6625-swingland, Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 009 by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8224-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-009, Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Ambient Bon

Ants have mastered the art of cooperation.  They have highly organized social structures, caste systems, and with everything they do, they do for the colony.  They are in a sense, a superorganism with each ant contributing to benefit of colony, like cells in a functioning body. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Winjammer by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Mute Groove by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Memory Wind by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Evolution by natural selection is not perfect, nor does it strive to be.  It doesn't strive to be anything at all.  An adaptation that is beneficial under one set of circumstances may be a detriment under another. There are also some wonderful by products - like reading and writing.  Did we evolve to read and write? Once again, imperfection reigns. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Gathering by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Ideas by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com In And Out by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Bright White by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Go Little Car by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

If you've ever heard the phrase "play possum", you may know it means to feign death. It's real thing. Possums do it, as do sharks, ants, and a multitude of other animals. It's a defense mechanisms shaped by evolution. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Go Little Car by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Dinky by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Arp Arc by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Ant Party by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

With the start of a new season of episodes, I thought it appropriate to revisit why I created this podcast in the first place with the question - "Why Teach Evolution?" Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Kingston Town by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Breezin by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Wook by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Mute Groove by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

It's time for a summer break.  There will be some exciting new video content coming up as well.  You can keep up to date on all that is happening at Evolutiontalk.com !   Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

The Homo Naledi have been intriguing scientists since their discovery in 2013, challenging our understanding of early human life. In this episode, we explore the burning question: how did they end up in the incredibly difficult-to-reach Dinaledi chamber? From the possibility of using fire to lighting their way to the evidence of intentional burial, we are slowly uncovering the secrets Homo Naledi left behind. We delve into their potential cognitive abilities, including abstract thinking and symbolic thought, and what their burial rituals could mean about their understanding of mortality. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Whimsy Groove by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4623-whimsy-groove, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Nightdreams by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmu

Dive into the mysterious world of Batesian mimicry, where harmless creatures masquerade as dangerous ones to survive. Journey with us from Britain’s south coast, where hoverflies fool predators with wasp-like outfits, to the deceptive bands of the scarlet kingsnake in southeastern US. Marvel at the daytime antics of clearwing moths, mistaken for bees, and question the taste of the Viceroy butterfly, a monarch look-alike. As the lines between disguise and reality blur, we explore the intriguing dance of adaptation and survival in the animal kingdom. It’s nature’s never-ending Halloween party. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Halloween Atmosphere 2018 by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3234-halloween-atmosphere-2018, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Halloween Ghost Of The Dead Balle

When a vibrant caravan of travelers arrives with new foods, traditions, and stories, a sleepy hamlet's culinary landscape is forever altered. We explore how this 'mixing of recipes' changes the DNA menu of a population, much like the newfound dishes in Heritage Hamlet. Here's to a feast for both your mind and your curiosity. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Le Baguette by Alexander Nakarada, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4784-le-baguette, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Discover "Fossils, Feuds, and Fantastical Creatures: The Cope and Marsh Saga." Journey back to 1863 Berlin, where Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh kickstart a rivalry for the ages. Originally friends, their bond fractures at a New Jersey fossil quarry, escalating into a public spat that seizes the paleontological world. Tune in for this thrilling ride into history, dinosaurs, and the power of human rivalry. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Meanwhile in Bavaria by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4028-meanwhile-in-bavaria. License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Lost In The Dark by Steven OBrien, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10010-lost-in-the-dark, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Summer Swing 2018 by Sascha Ende, Free download: https:

You can get 25% off the Evolution Talk book at Amazon!  The discount is good until June 8th.  If you buy one let me know what you think! Have a great week! Rick Link to Evolution Talk book: https://amzn.to/3MJTJ9h

From the quiet roads of New Hampshire, where snapping turtles are more common than lizards, to the depths of our evolutionary past, we'll grapple with the idea that we may still carry a piece of our reptilian ancestors within us. But don't be too quick to believe popular pop-psychology. We'll explore what the Triune Brain model tells us about our so-called "reptilian brain" and how it shapes our instinctual responses. We'll question if there's a lurking Allosaurus within our minds or if it's just an oversimplification of a complex organ. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Frogs by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Go Little Car by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Twinkle Toes by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Using the metaphor of a simple beat evolving into a complex symphony, we explore how small-scale genetic changes within populations give rise to new species. From microevolution to macroevolution. Here, the role of natural selection is handed over to the discerning ears of different audiences to select the music that survives and evolves. From a simple beat to a grand symphony, we trace the evolution of life. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.   Music in this Episode Jazzi by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/6469-jazzi, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Road Trip by Frank Schroeter, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9761-road-trip, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Trickster by Phat Sounds, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10864-trickster, License (CC BY 4.0): ht

In this episode, the focus is on macroevolution, which deals with larger scale evolutionary changes compared to microevolution. Macroevolutionary changes can give rise to new species, and its results can be seen in the fossil record. By piecing together fossils, researchers can observe macroevolutionary patterns, predict transitional organisms, and even locate potential fossil sites. Whales provide a compelling look at macroevolution, as their evolution from land-dwelling mammals to aquatic giants is documented in the fossil record. The journey of whales, from the wolf-sized Pakicetus to the fully aquatic Basilosaurus, showcases the power of macroevolution. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

The constant dance of microevolution is driven by alleles, different versions of genes that determine traits. Sexual reproduction results in organisms inheriting a unique combination of genetic material from both parents, creating genetic diversity within a population. New alleles can appear through mutations or gene flow between populations. The dance of alleles will continue, introducing new traits and variations in the ongoing story of evolution. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

In 2015,a spelunker named Joachim Kreiselmaier discovered a troglobite, a species that lives in underground environments, in the Danube-Aach cave system in South Germany. This small, pale fish had an elongated body, large nostrils, and minuscule, non-functional eyes. It was the first species of cave fish found in Europe and was related to loaches from the nearby Danube River. These cave fish lost their eyesight and pigmentation not because they stopped needing them, but due to evolution by natural selection.  Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

On September 15, 1835, the Galapagos Islands welcomed the arrival of a ship that had traversed South America, offering a strikingly different landscape. The vessel, HMS Beagle, still had just over a year before it would return to England. Aboard the ship was a young naturalist named Charles Darwin, who was unaware that his brief five-week exploration of the Galapagos Archipelago would ultimately inspire him to pen a world-altering book. This work would revolutionize our comprehension of the origins and diversity of the countless species that have existed and continue to exist on Earth. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

It can be straightforward to confuse facts and theories, but they remain distinct entities. Asserting that evolutoion by natural selection is not a fact does not diminish its significance as a theoretical framework. The theory is founded on empirical evidence and provides a deeper understanding of the subject matter.  Scientific theories evolve over time as new evidence and discoveries emerge. They continue to be refined and expanded as our knowledge of the natural world grows. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

Our diet has a direct impact on our quality of life, and this fact is not new. Throughout the evolution of our species, food availability and our diet have been influential factors. The Hominin River has provided insights into the dietary habits of our predecessors and how it affected their brain size and ability to walk on two legs. The transition from herbivores to omnivores, as well as learning how to cook food, caused a reduction in teeth size and gut size. Despite not documenting their meals or counting calories, our ancient hominin ancestors were keen on experimenting with what they ate. Their primary concern was avoiding predators, so we rely on archaeological findings to understand their diet. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.