Dinosaur Colors
Pigments preserved in fossils may reveal the color of dinosaurs.
Podcast for 19 August 2015
ANCIENT ANATOMY (Encore Presentation) - What dental records from the Mesozoic era can tell us about the lives of dinosaurs. How humans are uniquely adapted to throw baseballs. Also: an automated nature recording system that's monitoring environmental change. And, could vaccinating children protect the elderly as well?
Four-Legged Snakes
A fossil of a four-legged snake links snakes with their lizard ancestors.
From Teeth to Beaks
The ancestors of birds had teeth, but started to lose them around 100 million years ago.
Ancient Kangaroos
The largest kangaroos once walked - instead of hopped - across ancient Australia.
Baby Birds & Dinosaurs
The way baby birds use their wings helps reveal how early winged dinosaurs used theirs.
Cave Girl
Scientists discover a nearly intact 12 thousand-year-old skeleton in a Yucatán cave.
Slinky Saber Cats
New research sheds light on physical adaptations that allowed saber-tooth cats to hunt prey.
DNA in Amber
Could scientists really get dinosaur DNA from insects preserved in amber?
EVOLUTION & EXTINCTION
EVOLUTION & EXTINCTION - (Encore Presentation) What really happened to Australia's missing megafauna, how carnivores lost their sweet tooth, why lovelorn fruit flies resort to alcohol, strategic miscarriages in monkeys, and a new frog species is discovered in plain sight.
Podcast for 27 September 2013
INSECTS & SPIDERS - Could spider venom be the next insecticide? Why mosquitoes smell you better at night. And debunking the myth of extracting dinosaur DNA from insects preserved in amber. Also, insect legs that bear an uncanny resemblance to modern machinery.
DNA in Amber
Could scientists really get dinosaur DNA from insects preserved in amber?
Non-Terror Bird
Giant flightless birds with enormous beaks once roamed the earth. Did they feast upon flesh, or gobble up plants?
Podcast for 6 September 2013
The Ugly Animal Preservation society uses humor to raise awareness about conservation. Why whales have to worry about sunburns. And an ancient terror bird that wasn't so terrible after all. Also: transplanting gut bacteria from obese humans makes mice fat.
Oxygen & Carnivores
Rising oxygen levels during the Cambrian period allowed for the rise of ocean carnivores and the subsequent explosion of animal diversity.
Dino Tooth Replacement
The world's largest dinosaurs had to replace their teeth constantly to keep up with all their eating.
Podcast for 19 July 2013
ANCIENT ANATOMY - What dental records from the Mesozoic era can tell us about the lives of dinosaurs. How humans are uniquely adapted to throw baseballs. Also: an automated nature recording system that's monitoring environmental change. And, could vaccinating children protect the elderly as well?
Turtle Shell Evolution
A 260 million-year-old fossil could be the ancestor of turtles.
Ancient Lead Pollution
Humans were polluting the air with lead as far back as 3,900 years ago.
Arctic Camels
Camels seem perfectly suited to life in the desert, but they may have evolved those traits in the high Arctic.
Podcast for 15 March 2013
An ancient pigment with futuristic applications, the hidden electricity between flowers and bees, and a new, improved anti-fog coating. Also: the unlikely history of camels.
Podcast for 1 March 2013
SWEET SCIENCE - What tomatoes can tell us about cutting back on sugar and a diabetes cure for dogs. Also, behind the mechanics of beatboxing, the evolution of whales, and writing your way to a better relationship.
Ancient Whales
A newly discovered but long-extinct whale species may have eaten sharks.
Sensitive Reptile Roundup
Some dinosaurs may have used feathers to show off, much like some modern birds.