Ep #73 Talking Headgear and Spike Tooths with Ed "Dr. Pronghorn" Davis

Ep 73 Paleo Nerds with Ed Davis

LINKS for more info on this Episode

Newly identified fossil named after Kermit the Frog
A lighthearted headline with serious science behind it, describing the discovery of a prehistoric amphibian fossil that scientists nicknamed after Kermit due to its frog-like features.

The Cooper Center’s vast collection of whale bones and marine mammals
The Cooper Center in California curates a huge collection of marine mammal fossils, including an impressive number of whale bones that provide key insights into ancient oceans.

Ed Davis’s UC Berkeley professor Anthony Barnosky
Anthony Barnosky is a noted paleontologist and professor at UC Berkeley, specializing in large-scale climate and ecosystem changes across geologic time.

A primitive Late Pliocene cheetah, and evolution of the cheetah lineage
This PNAS article covers the discovery of a Late Pliocene cheetah fossil from Africa that sheds light on the evolutionary history of modern cheetahs.

North American Puma or Cougar
An overview of Puma concolor, the North American cougar, including its biology, range, and evolutionary history.

Body water conservation through selective brain cooling by the carotid rete
An in-depth scientific article exploring how the carotid rete, a network of blood vessels in certain mammals, helps conserve water and regulate temperature.

Sexual selection has shaped many extreme adaptations
The Berkeley Evolution 101 resource explains how sexual selection drives traits and behaviors that increase reproductive success, often leading to dramatic evolutionary outcomes.

Female Pronghorns Choose Mate Based on Substance as Well as Show
NSF coverage of research showing how female pronghorns select males not just by display, but also by stamina and substance, offering an evolutionary perspective on mate choice.

The American Pronghorn and its Ancient Relatives
The Mammoth Site explains the pronghorn’s unique evolutionary history, connecting the modern species to its ancient relatives across North America.

The extinct Irish Elk with the 12’ antlers, the Megaloceros
A look at Megaloceros giganteus, the so-called Irish Elk, a giant Ice Age deer species famous for its enormous antlers.

The “Pizzley Bear” a Polar-Grizzly hybrid
This hybrid of polar bear and grizzly bear occurs in the wild, reflecting how climate change is shifting ranges and creating unusual ecological overlaps.

Giraffid “ossicones”, unique mammal headgear
A scientific explanation of ossicones, the strange horn-like structures covered in skin found only in giraffes and their relatives.

The short-necked forest giraffe, the Okapi
An overview of the okapi, the giraffe’s forest-dwelling relative, known for its zebra-like stripes and shorter neck.

More on Ossicones
A closer look at the biology, anatomy, and evolution of ossicones and how they differ from horns and antlers.

The strange slingshot antler of Synthetoceras
A Miocene ungulate with bizarre forked antlers shaped like a slingshot, highlighting the extreme experiments of evolution in headgear.

Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History’s Thomas Condon Collection
This collection showcases the work of Thomas Condon, a pioneering Oregon paleontologist who documented and preserved many important fossil sites.

Thomas Henry Huxley
Huxley was a 19th-century English biologist known as “Darwin’s Bulldog” for his staunch defense of evolution and his work in comparative anatomy.

Woolly Mammoth De-extinction project
Biotech company Colossal is spearheading efforts to use genetic engineering to bring back mammoths, aiming to revive traits in living elephant lineages.

How to crack a safe on Ed’s YouTube
Ed Davis’s YouTube channel mixes science with humor and outreach, including quirky videos like “safe cracking” demonstrations.

Instagram Irish Elk Gal
An Instagram account celebrating paleontology and Ice Age animals, including the massive Irish Elk.

MUSIC you heard during this podcast
Deep Time by Russell Wodehouse
Slipstream by Don Kenoyer
Can't Sleep on My Feet by Whiskey Class
Cosmic Lunch by Ray Troll