Today’s crocs are iconic semi-aquatic predators, but their extended family tree features lots of land-dwelling cousins. This episode, we take a tour through croc evolutionary history and explore the many times these reptiles have taken to life on dry land. We’ll examine what features these terrestrial crocs shared, which ones they didn’t, and what their fossils tell us about how the shape of crocs has changed over time.

In the news: sauropod guts, Australian biomarkers, butterfly scales, and tropical archosaurs.

Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:07:25 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:44:20 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:23:20 Patron question: 02:17:25

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

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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

For over 100 million years, North America and Asia have been connected over the Pacific Ocean through a region called Beringia. The comings and going of plants and animals across this connection have shaped ecosystems of the past and present. This episode, we explore the geologic history of the region and which ancient species have managed to live in and move through Beringia.

In the news: early sperm whales, BC plesiosaurs, megatooth shark food, and Arctic nesting birds.

Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:09:10 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:35:25 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:02:15 Patron question: 01:40:40

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

Some LGBTQIA+ organizations in the southeast US: Trans Aid Nashville: https://www.transaidnashville.org/ Out Memphis: https://www.outmemphis.org/ Southerners on New Ground: https://southernersonnewground.org Shoutout to Vic Michaelis for these links: www.instagram.com/vicmmic/

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

Take a deep breath and appreciate for a moment the organs that let you do it so efficiently. Lungs are an invaluable tool for life out of the water, and are therefore a favorite topic for paleontologists interested in early animals on land. This episode, we explore the diversity of modern lungs and the few but fascinating insights we have into the lungs of ancient animals, from dinosaurs to the first terrestrial vertebrates.

In the news: trilobite sizes, polar forests, early footprints, and cicadas.

Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:05:50 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:31:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:21:35 Patron question: 02:05:35

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

Listen to our new podcast, Leaf it to Us! https://linktr.ee/leafittouspod

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