The Common Descent Podcast

David Moscato and Will Harris are two paleontologists who met as master's students at East Tennessee State University, and their shared enthusiasm for deep time radiates through every episode of The Common Descent Podcast. The show tackles the history of life on Earth — fossils, evolution, extinction events, speculative biology — with a conversational warmth that makes even Cambrian biostratigraphy feel approachable. Each episode follows a satisfying structure: a news segment covering recent paleontology research, a main topic that gets a thorough treatment, and listener questions from the show's Patreon community at the end. The main topics are where the show really shines. You might get a two-hour exploration of the evolution of flight, or a detailed breakdown of what we know (and don't know) about Precambrian life. Episodes often run long — anywhere from 50 minutes to over three hours — but the hosts keep the energy up throughout. New episodes land every two weeks, and with 358 in the catalog, there's an enormous back library to explore. The show holds an impressive 4.8 star average from 739 Apple ratings, which reflects a genuinely dedicated fanbase. Moscato and Harris are clearly well-read and passionate, and they have the rare ability to communicate scientific uncertainty without making it feel like hand-waving. If you're interested in paleobiology, evolutionary history, or just want to understand how the living world got to where it is today, Common Descent is a standout.