PODCAST · science
The Natural Selection Presents
by The Natural Selection
Welcome to the Natural Selection—we're a group of taxonomists who want to bring their passion for nature into the wild.Join us as we discuss the latest discoveries in the natural world and bring an irreverent eye to what we've learned about Earth's diverse life that week.
Episodes
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Episode 74 - Goodbyes
This week the Natural selection say goodbye.. at least for now. In this our final episode, we touched on some of our favourite topics or subjects that we haven’t discussed in previous episodes. We learned about some extinct species and some species that have reappeared after being thought…
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Episode 73 - Extinctions
The Natural Selection is back! This week we talk all about why The Ordovician blew a little hot and cold, why the great dying was great news for us, and which pigeon once blocked out the sun. In this episode we talk about: Common Sydney octopuses (Octopus tetricus) jacobin hummingbirds (Florisuga...
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Episode 71 - Beaks
The Natural Selection is back, and this week we are talking all about beaks! Listen now and learn why you shouldn't squeeze pliers with jelly in your hands, how to calm down a goose, and which bird is better than a speeding train. In This episode we talk about: Flesh Flies - Sarcophaga similis...
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Bonus Clip!
So, we had a technical malfunction this week with the recording, but our episode all about beaks will be back next week! Until then, please enjoy this special out-take from a previous episode.
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Episode 71 - Butterflies
Join us as this week The Natural Selection Presents... Butterflies! (and moths). In this episode, we learned all about some beautiful butterflies and marvelous moths. We explored coevolution with flowers, dazzling displays, and some butterflies brought back from the brink of extinction. Listen…
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Episode 70 - Grasslands
The Natural Selection returns to talk about Grasslands! Listen now and learn how to name a Gorilla, How high a bison can jump, and where to find a cheetah. In This Episode We talk about: News: Giraffes Dung Beetles Microgastrinae Wasps Theme: Poaceae/Grasses - Wheat, Rice and Bamboo Insects of…
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Episode 69 - Red
This week the Natural Selection were seeing red and exploring another colour we see all over the natural world. We discussed the IUCN red list and how it helps policy changes. We explored some brightly pigmented animals and some animals that have just gotten too much sun. Listen now to find out...
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Episode 68 - Green
This week the Natural Selection found out it's not easy being green.. well not if you’re a mammal anyway. This week we talked all about the colour green and how and why some animals and most plants are green. Why aren’t there any green mammals? How does chlorophyll work? What is that green bird…
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Episode 67 - Blue
The Natural Selection is back - And this week we are a bit blue. But don't worry, rather than being rude, or sad, we have found our favourite blue things from nature. Listen now and learn why you might put make up on a bird's foot, why the sky is not like the sea, and why a unique singing voice…
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Episode 66 - Food webs
This week The Natural Selection got tangled up in the complex world of food webs. From the global ocean food web to the complex biota in a termite's gut, understanding food webs is vital to allow us to recognise the impact we can have on them. In this week's episode, we explored why an ecologist...
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Episode 65 - Dinosaurs
The Natural Selection is back - and this week we are talking all about Dinosaurs! Listen now and learn why T-Rex would make terrible podcasters, why Naomi hates Hollywood, and which 15 million years gets palaeontologists most excited.
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Episode 64 - Bones
Join us for this episode of the Natural Selection Presents… Bones! We got weird and wacky this week learning about manatee molars, the tiniest bone of them all, and what birds give up in order to fly.
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Episode 63 - Deep Sea
This week's episode got deep as the Natural Selection explored the depths of the oceans. We discussed the challenges faced by the unique and bizarre animals found near the bottom of the ocean. From the aptly named "terrible-claw lobster" to giant squids we learnt about adaptations deep sea...
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Episode 62 - Transitions
The Natural Selection is back! Listen now and learn how to become a queen, why it might be useful to be 80% as big as a clown fish, and what finds their parents' skin… delicious.
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Episode 61 - Shells
This week the Natural Selection came out of their shells. We explored the wonderful variety of protective coatings and armour animals have, from snails to turtles (with the gentle giant glyptodon in between). Why did some cephalopods lose their shells? Why are bird eggs and reptile eggs…
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Episode 60 - Marsupials
This week, the Natural Selection presents… marsupials! Listen now and learn which marsupial you might find in Antarctica, why opossums don't give birth through their noses, and which kangaroo didn't hop.
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Episode 59 - Snakes
This week the Natural Selection talked about snakes. We explored how they move and interact with a variety of habitats from burrows to the air. We investigated how snakes differ from other limbless lizards and how they can reproduce in unique ways. Listen now to discover more about these...
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Episode 58 - Hands and Feet
The Natural Selection is back! Listen now and hear why aye-aye die, to better understand a panda hand, and whether you can (or should!) persue a kangaroo.
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Episode 57 - Anomalies
This week, the Natural Selection talked about the uncommon and the unexpected. Our theme was anomalies and we explored some unusual and rare plants and animals. From the strange and puzzling fossils of the Cambrian to snakes with legs, we discovered many things that are out of the ordinary. How…
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Episode 56 - Seeds
Hello Listeners, The Natural Selection is back, and this week we are talking all about seeds. Listen now and learn why you might want to be eaten by an elephant, where the most biodiverse place in the world is, and what might explode if you touch it.
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Episode 55 - Misnomers
What's in a name? What we call a bug… might actually be a shrimp! This week the crew at the Natural Selection discussed misnomers. We explored how some animals' names don't reflect their true natures. From comb-jellies to fish, with bugs in between, listen now to find out more. If you enjoyed…
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Episode 54 - Altered States
This week's episode is mind-bending. Well, at least our topic is! In this episode, we discussed "altered states". Relax back as you learn about the brain activity caused meditation, take a trip to the past and explore some historical experiments that weren't so groovy, and grab your favourite...
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Episode 53 - Origins
In this week's episode we went back to the beginning… From the origin of the binomial naming system, we learned why Swedish spiders are truly exceptional. We shed some light on the causes behind (and evolutionary history of) those pesky hiccups. We also explored the origins of some tasty food and...
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Episode 52 - Cycles
The Natural Selection is back! This week, we present... cycles! No, we've not gone all city planning on you, but listen now and find out why dogs don't have menstrual cycles, what will be coming out the ground in 17 years, and why you're only breathing through one nostril right now!
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Episode 51 - Growth
Inspired by spring weather this week, the Natural Selection discussed growth. We really blossomed and found the light as we learned about plant phototropism and we reached new heights as we explored just how bamboo grows so fast. Listen now to find out why giants would have serious leg problems,...
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Episode 50 - Memory
The Natural Selection is back (remember us?), and this week we present... memory! Listen and find out why a slime mould might have a better job than you, which one of us was attacked by corvids, and what we don't know about starfish.
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Episode 49 - Organs
On this episode, the Natural Selection got to the heart of the topic… and the brain… and the melon… because this week was all about organs! We discovered how animals use some specialised organs to get information from the world around them and asked some important questions: What's so…
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Episode 48 - Danger
This week, the Natural Selection was not playing it safe: we explored the thrilling topic of danger. We shook with fear as we learned about rattlesnakes, saltwater crocodiles, and the most infamous man-eating tiger that ever lived. Listen now to learn how animals signal and startle their way out…
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Episode 47 - Parenting
The Natural Selection is back, and this week we talk about nature's most amazing parents. Learn why eating a queen's poo makes some animals better mothers, find out when it's appropriate to eat your babies, and why seahorse fathers are not as unusual as you might assume…
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Episode 46 - Sex
This week, inspired by Valentine's Day, the Natural selection talked about sexual reproduction. We discussed some strategies different animals use to impress their mates. Listen now to learn how male spiders avoid being eaten (or in some cases, don't…), why female anglerfish are so lumpy, and how...
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Episode 45 - Climbing
The Natural Selection is back! This week, the only way is up as we talk all about climbing! Listen and find out which snake is the absolute cutest, why climbing waterfalls turns one fish's frown upside down, and why you should probably leave that baby sloth alone. Please like, rate, share,...
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Episode 44 - Toxins
This week's episode had a real sting to it, as the Natural Selection talks all about toxins! Learn why you shouldn't smoke (even if you're stung by a snail), why Komodo Dragons don't have dirty mouths, and how some witches might just be moldy bread!
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Episode 43 - Convergent Evolution
Hello Listeners! This week, the Natural Selection does convergent evolution—how living things independently evolve similar traits. Listen now and hear about the world’s most terrifying newt, which bird is a little bit like Elvis, and the answer to the question everyone has been dying to know: can...
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Episode 42 - Ice Age
This week the Natural Selection explored the frozen depths of the ice ages. Inspired by the frosty January weather, we looked at time periods when ice and snow extended far beyond the poles. We uncovered mammoth facts about megafauna and extinctions. Join us as we discuss snowball earth, our…
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Episode 41 - Secret Santa
Hello Listeners! As Christmas comes to an end and the new year approaches, the Natural Selection gather to share all the facts they couldn't squeeze into any other episode. Holiday grab bag! We don't know what each of us are going to choose to talk about, so join us for some Christmassy mystery!
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Christmas Special
Join us listeners for a special, slightly shorter, Christmas edition of the Natural Selection! Listen as Nick, Nic and Naomi talk about their favourite Christmas Flora and Fauna. We Ho Ho Hope you like it!
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Episode 40 - Caves
This week the Natural Selection dig deep to explore the hidden depths of caves. In this weeks episode, the trio discuss some wonderful caves from around the world, adaptations to life in caves and how early humans left their mark in caves. Take a journey with us through caves and etymological...
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Episode 39 - Subzero
The Natural Selection doesn't like to get negative but this week our theme went subzero. Inspired by the cooling weather we fished out some icy facts about how animals cope with low temperatures. Chill out and listen to us chat about maple syrup, frozen frogs, and why ice is so nice. If you enjoy...
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Episode 39 - Flight
This week on the Natural Selection, the power of flight is the wind beneath our wings! Join Nick, Naomi, and Nic as we talk pterosaurs, tiny microbes in the air, and the dangers of airports—for geese, that is.
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Episode 37 - Eggs
We are back! This week we have come out of our shell to talk about eggs! Listen now and find out which bird gives birth to the biggest eggs, which babies are born with teeth, and where to find the most aerodynamic eggs.
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Episode 36 - DNA
This week The Natural Selection is unzipping the complex topic of genes and DNA. We explored the complex world of genetics and talked about the structure of DNA, HOX genes and glowing sharks. We also talked about nobel prizes, calico cats, epigentics and marbled lungfish. Listen now to find out…
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Episode 35 - Hymenoptera
This episode on the Natural Selection we're all about bees, ants, wasps (and sawflies, sort of). The insect order Hymenoptera is our topic this week, so stop by and hear about the smallest wasp (it's really, really tiny), learn more about crazy ants and their crazy lives, and find out how to…
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Episode 34 - Death
The Natural Selection is back, this week we are talking all about death. Learn which snakes are terrible actors, why you shouldn't attack a turkey vulture, and which ants explode for the benefit of others.
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Episode 33 - Blood
The Natural Selection had a bloody great time with this week's Halloween-inspired theme. We learned all about blood, from red-blooded puppies to green-blooded skinks with Ocellated ice fish in between. We found out that medicine got lucky with the horseshoe crab, we got a taste of sanguinivores,...
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Episode 32 - Reefs
Surf's up! Join the Natural Selection crew this week as we sail around the world's reefs… and it's not just coral! Listen in to find out where the world's biggest sponge reefs are, what makes the Great Barrier Reef so great, and how to keep an eye on reefs near and far (like this one, in Miami:...
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Episode 31 - Forests
The Natural Selection is back, this week we are talking all about forests. Listen and learn how giraffes outsmart plants, what dung beetles can tell us about ancient England and how some insects start fires .
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Episode 30 - Autumn
The Natural selection branch out this week and 'leaf' summer behind as they fall into the topic of autumn. This week the trio talk about all the losers, changers, and movers and shakers that autumn brings. Listen now to hear all about leaf senescence, murmurations, phenotypic shifts… and, most...
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Episode 29 - Beetles
Nick, Naomi, and Nic come together again, this time to discuss the wonderful world of beetles. In this episode, find out about everyone's favourite insect—here, there, and everywhere—while we discuss our intended funerals and why, all the wrong names to call a lampyrid, and what to do when you…
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Episode 28 - Fossils
The Natural Selection is back, and this week we are talking all about fossils! Listen and learn how penguins tricked scientists, how elephants tricked the Ancient Greeks, and hear us potentially slander Arthur Conan Doyle.
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Episode 27 - Smell
Join the Natural this week as they brave skunks and corpse flowers to sniff out some interesting facts about smell. Learn why musk oxen are so smelly, what makes whale barf so valuable and which animal has the best nose. Listen now and find out what a perfume expert is called.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to the Natural Selection—we're a group of taxonomists who want to bring their passion for nature into the wild.Join us as we discuss the latest discoveries in the natural world and bring an irreverent eye to what we've learned about Earth's diverse life that week.
HOSTED BY
The Natural Selection
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Natural Selection Presents have?
The Natural Selection Presents currently has 76 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Natural Selection Presents about?
Welcome to the Natural Selection—we're a group of taxonomists who want to bring their passion for nature into the wild.Join us as we discuss the latest discoveries in the natural world and bring an irreverent eye to what we've learned about Earth's diverse life that week.
How often does The Natural Selection Presents release new episodes?
The Natural Selection Presents has 76 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Natural Selection Presents?
You can listen to The Natural Selection Presents on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Natural Selection Presents?
The Natural Selection Presents is created and hosted by The Natural Selection.
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