286: A Review of the Animal Kingdom in Miniature w/ Dr. Mark D. Scherz!

Join Ellen & special guest, evolutionary biologist and herpetologist Dr. Mark D. Scherz, for a look through the magnifying glass at miniaturized animals. Our guest studies species who have shrunk down to incredibly small sizes, like frogs and chameleons who could gather on the tip of your finger, and he has some fascinating insights into why and how animals get so darn itty bitty and what could be stopping them from getting any itty bittier. We discuss silliness in scientific names, assuming a spherical frog in a vacuum, chameleons called B. nana, whether jawbones spark joy, how many brain cells you really even need anyway, and so much more.Links:Learn more about Mark and his work on his website: http://www.markscherz.com/Check out Mark's podcast, SquaMates: http://squamatespod.com/Follow Mark on Tumblr: https://markscherz.tumblr.com/Follow Mark on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/markscherz.bsky.socialFor more information about us & our podcast, head over to our website!Follow Just the Zoo of Us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram & Discord!Follow Ellen on BlueSky! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinjustthezoo