Evolution Talk

Rick Coste

Everything you wanted to know about evolution by natural selection in short, easy to digest, episodes. Hosted, and produced by writer Rick Coste.

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167 episodes
Updated July 20

Episodes167

Newest first

Apr 10, 2023 · 12 min
Fact & Theory
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.
Apr 3, 2023 · 13 min
What They Ate
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.
Mar 27, 2023 · 13 min
Hominins: The End of the Hominin River
Our journey down the Hominin River in search of our ancestors and the evolution of our species has been extensive. Homo sapiens began exploring the world 300,000 years ago, and anatomically modern humans appeared 200,000 years ago. We, also known as Homosapiens sapiens, are the last surviving species of the Hominin family. However, as we speed along the river, we may overlook a significant change - the river is now narrower, with its tributaries gone. This river, which has been around for over 6 million years, may be nearing its end sooner than we anticipate. With millions of years behind us, we might only have a few centuries left to navigate. 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 Denouement by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Ghost by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Human Survivor by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
Mar 20, 2023 · 14 min
Hominins: Homo erectus and the Mystery of the 5 Skulls
The discovery of a Homo erectus skull in 2005, known as Skull 5, marked a significant archaeological find. Among the five skulls found, estimated to be approximately 1.8 million years old, Skull 5 stands out as the most complete hominin skull ever uncovered. Remarkably, it had remained hidden within a cave for nearly two million years before its discovery. 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 River Fire by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4294-river-fire, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Slow Heat by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4373-slow-heat, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Allada by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4981-allada, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Rite of Passage by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4291-rite-of-passage, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Mar 13, 2023 · 13 min
Hominins: Homo habilis
In 1959, a significant event took place when teeth were discovered at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. These teeth were identified as belonging to a hominin species known as Homo habilis, which for decades held a special place as the first hominin to be given the title of Homo and considered as our earliest Homo ancestor. However, as more evidence and research emerge, the question arises: is Homo habilis truly the first Homo species, or is there more to the story? 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 Infados by Kevin MacLeod. Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3914-infados, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Artifact by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3382-artifact, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Accralate by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3336-accralate, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Drums of the Deep by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3681-drums-of-the-deep, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Mar 6, 2023 · 10 min
Hominins: Paranthropus
Thomas Plummer, an archaeologist, had received information about the discovery of stone tools on the Homa Peninsula hillsides in Kenya. In an attempt to gain more knowledge, he initiated an excavation. However, instead of discovering more stone tools, he and his team came across numerous fossils of various animals such as crocodiles, antelopes, horses, and hippos. The fossils were accompanied by stone tools. But who made them? 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com Music: Criminals (DECISION) by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/248-criminals-decision, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Lurking Sloth by Alexander Nakarada, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4785-lurking-sloth, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Until Then My Friend by Euan Ford, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8692-until-then-my-friend, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Blockbuster Atmosphere 5 (African Spirit) by Sascha Ende, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/133-blockbuster-atmosphere-5-african-spirit, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Feb 27, 2023 · 15 min
Hominins: Lucy and the Australopithecus
We've come quite a long way along the Hominin River. We've passed tributaries and navigated some pretty large bends. On the way we've heard rumors about what was ahead. A name actually. You'll recognize her name because she's been mentioned on this show more than once. She's perhaps the most famous ancestor(?) of all. 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com Music in this Episode: Ghost by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Pythagoras by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Gentle Chase by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Twine by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Clay by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
Feb 20, 2023 · 13 min
Hominins: Ardipithecus ramidus
Between 1992 and 1994, working in the Awash region of Ethiopia, the same region that Ardipithecus kadabba would be found a few years later, paleoanthropologist Tim White unearthed well over 100 specimens of something new. What was it? 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com Music: Caravan by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Bit Rio by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Gamma Ray by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Climbing the Mountain by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Toboggan (Smooth Run) by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
Feb 13, 2023 · 10 min
Hominins: Ardipithecus kadabba
In the last couple of episodes we've met two early travellers along the Hominin River. Today, we will meet yet another one. This one lived approximately 5.5 million years ago. It is know as Ardipithecus kadabba, and this is its story. 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Feb 6, 2023 · 10 min
Hominins: Orrorin tugenensis
We continue with our exploration into hominin history by introducing one who once walked the earth six million years ago - the Orrorin tugenensis. It was bipedal, a mix of ape-like and human-like traits, and may be a direct ancestor... of 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Jan 30, 2023 · 9 min
Hominins: Sahelanthropus tchadensis
We begin our exploration into hominin history with an introduction to what is arguably the oldest hominin fossil yet found. Does Sahelanthropus tchadensis represent our earliest hominin ancestor or is it something else? 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Jan 23, 2023 · 5 min
Hominins or Hominids
When talking about our ancient anscestors the question often comes up over how we refer to them. Are they hominins or hominids? It's a good question and it depends on how it is being used and what "hominid" branch is being discussed. Over the next few episodes we'll be looking at some of those ancestors, so it's a good idea to address this terminology and what will be used going forward to avoid confusion. It might also answer some questions! 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Jan 16, 2023 · 10 min
Walk This Way
When did our ancestors descend from the trees and walk on two legs instead of four? How exactly did bipedalism develop? We have some ideas but that's all they are - ideas. We may never know, but we can certainly have some fun hypothesizing! 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Jan 9, 2023 · 12 min
Return of the Naledi
Our study of the Homo Naledi continues to surprise us. In December 2022, Professor Lee Berger announced yet another insight into the mystery surrounding the presence of the Naledi in the Rising Star Cave System. 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Jan 2, 2023 · 10 min
A Spandrel in the Works
In 1979 Stephen Jay Gould and genetecist Richard C. Lewontin presented the paper "The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme". What do spandrels have to do with evolution and biology? Sometimes, things are there simply because they are. 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Dec 26, 2022 · 9 min
The Eclipse: A Watchmaker
In Part 4 of a 4 Part Series on "The Eclipse of Darwinism", we take a look at William Paley's watch analogy and how it evolved into another explanation for the abundance and intricacies of life around 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Dec 19, 2022 · 11 min
The Eclipse: Mutationism
In Part 3 of a 4 Part Series on "The Eclipse of Darwinism", we take a look at "Mutationism". Can a new species evolve in a single step or is it a series of gradual, accumulated changes as Darwinian evolution suggests? 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Dec 12, 2022 · 11 min
The Eclipse: Neo-Lamarkism
In Part 2 of a 4 Part Series on "The Eclipse of Darwinism", we take a look at "Neo-Lamarkism" as proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamark. Proponents hoped it would push Darwinian evolution aside as the principal force behind the evolution of species. 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Dec 5, 2022 · 10 min
The Eclipse of Darwinism
After Charles Darwin's death, the period from the 1880s to the 1920s is known as "The Eclipse of Darwinism". Coined by Julian Huxley, it was a time where alternative theories to explain evolution sought to push Natural Selection aside. 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com
Nov 28, 2022 · 8 min
Speciation Pt. 2
In this continuation of the look at speciation we began in the last episode, we will tackle some more "not so obvious" causes. 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. For show notes and more, please visit https://EvolutionTalk.com