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Episode 225 - Forests episode artwork

Aug 31, 2025 2 hr 55 min

Episode 225 - Forests

from The Common Descent Podcast Hosted by Common Descent

Forests are among the most widespread and diverse biomes on our planet. This episode, we’re joined by our favorite paleobotanist, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, to explore what defines a forest, how these habitats function, and how they differ around the globe. Then, we’ll take a trip into the past to discuss how paleontologists study ancient forests and how these biomes have changed over hundreds of millions of years. In the news: ocean sediments, early penguins, island foxes, Canadian dragonflies, and ancient deer. Time markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:00 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:30 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:47:10 Patron question: 02:48:35 Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/ Listen to more Plants with Aly on Leaf it to Us! https://commondescentpodcast.com/leaf-it-to-us/ Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast Subscribe to Curiosity Box using our Affiliate Link: https://www.curiositybox.com/CommonDescent 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

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Episode 225 - Forests

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This episode was published on August 31, 2025.

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