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Welcome to the Biologic Podcast, an audio exploration of the incredible world of living things.
The journey begins at the dawn of life, almost 4 billion years ago. In this ancient eon, biochemical reactions gave rise to ordered systems (the cell) capable of replication. The key to this replication is the genome, and the DNA itself.
At this point, the journey expands in scope; we will explore the process of evolution, then move through hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary history until we come to the modern day, to survey the modern world's biodiversity. Then we'll take a step back to look at the ecological interactions of all this life, and the resulting biomes that define the surface of our planet Earth.
Our journey through the biological realm takes a sudden turn; having learned about life at the grandest scale, we now return to the ground, to look in greater detail at the various organisms that share this world with us. We first explore the physiology & diversity of plants, and then same for the fungi. Moving from flora to fauna, we explore the physiology & diversity of animals, up to and including the human being.
The path is long and the lessons hard, but for the ever-curious listener, there are many great discoveries and insights to be had in the world of the biological.
Episode 114 - Humans & Arachnids
Welcome to Episode 114! In today's show, we'll wrap up our series on the arachnids by exploring their relationship with humans, from our evolution and prehistory, to the modern day. In human cultural lore, arachnids are nuanced and complex entities. They have inspired many technologies, their biochemistry has provided many medicinal chemicals, and their influence on human culture and experience has been profound.
45:1415/11/2024
Episode 113 - Araneae II - Araneomorphae
Welcome to Episode 113! We're finishing up the two-part mini-series on the true spiders of Araneae with this in-depth look at the Araneomorphae. This group comprises the vast majority of modern spiders, and demonstrates a bewildering degree of biodiversity and ecological contribution.
51:2016/10/2024
Episode 112 - Araneae I - Early Spider Evolution - Mesothelae & Mygalomorphae
Welcome to Episode 112! Today's show will explore the early evolution of the true spiders, their anatomy and physiology, and the life strategies and behavior of early spider groups like the Mesothelae and Mygalomorphae. This is part 1 in the Araneae mini-series; part 2 will explore the Araneomorphae.
58:0714/09/2024
Episode 111 - Scorpiones - The Scorpions & Relatives
In today's show, we'll take a look at the infamous scorpion, as well as several of its near relatives. It will be an exciting adventure in the life of a scorpion or scorpion-like creature, as they scuttle along in deserts or forests, using their claws or venomous tail to attack prey. These are incredible, charismatic and cryptic creatures, representing a modern scientific frontier waiting to be studied.
55:0815/08/2024
Episode 110 - Acariformes & Parasitiformes
Hello and welcome to Episode 110! Today we will explore the anatomy, lifestyle and ecology of two major arachnid groups; the acariformes and the parasitiformes, more commonly known as the mites and the ticks. Although they're most well known for the handful of groups that parasitize animals and sometimes even eat blood, most of them are herbivores whose collective consumption and metabolic activity plays a critical ecological role.
56:2515/07/2024
Episode 109 - Early Arachnid Evolution
Welcome to Episode 109! Today's episode is an important one. It marks the beginning of our four part mega series on the arthropods. In this first part, we introduce the most basal arthropod clade, the arachnids, and explore their evolutionary origins. We'll look at the ecological challenges they faced, and the friends and relatives they made along the way. Today's show will set the stage for the rest of the arachnids we'll look at in upcoming episodes, and the rest of the arthropods that we'll explore in the later parts of this mega series.
48:1116/06/2024
Episode 108 - Humans & Molluscs
Welcome to Episode 108! Today we'll be exploring the unique and diverse relationships that humans have with the many types of molluscs that share this world with us. They are part of our myths and legends, they are sources of food and medicines, and they've inspired countless technologies. We have a surprisingly close relationship with these most alien-like of Earthly creatures.
46:0901/06/2024
Episode 107 - Cephalopoda II - Coleoidea - The Squid, Cuttlefish, and Octopus
Welcome to Episode 107! This is part 2 in a 2-part series on the cephalopods. Today we will explore the evolutionary history of the coleoids, a "recent" branch of cephalopod. We will also examine their alien anatomy, their unusual life cycle, and their shockingly sophisticated intelligence.
51:4916/05/2024
Episode 106 - Cephalopoda I - Nautiloidea - The Nautiluses
Welcome to Episode 106! This show is part 1 in a 2-part series on the cephalopods. Today we will explore the evolutionary history of the cephalopods, and take a closer look at the physiology and life cycle of the descendants of the strange, basal lineage of nautiloids.
45:2315/04/2024
Episode 105 - Gastropods - Slugs and Snails
Welcome to Episode 105! Today we'll be exploring the wild world of gastropods, including their unique and bizarre physiology, as well as their even more bizarre reproductive strategies. It'll be a thoroughly entertaining and provocative episode, exploring the biology of a quiet, innocuous, and infinitely weird group of invertebrates.
45:1615/03/2024
Episode 104 - Bivalvia - Clams, Oysters, Mussels, and relatives
Welcome to Episode 104! Todays show will dive into a particularly strange and unusual type of animal life; the bivalves. Despite most bivalves being blind, immobile piles of slimy goo encased between two shell plates, they are remarkably fascinating creatures, with many critically important ecological contributions that help make aquatic habitats more habitable for all kinds of life.
43:1316/02/2024
Episode 103 - Early Mollusk Evolution
Hello and welcome to Episode 103! Today we'll be opening up a new chapter in the Biologic Podcast by diving into the anatomy, physiology, life cycle, and ecology of the rest of the animal kingdom, starting with the molluscs. The first episode in this new series will explore early mollusk evolution, and the biology of the earliest, most basal mollusk clades.
48:4117/01/2024
Episode 102 - Humans & the First Metazoans
Welcome to Episode 102! Today, we're going to end our series on the first Metazoans with a relatively short and sweet exploration of their complex and fascinating relationship with Humans; how we see the sponges and anemones and jellyfish in our myths, urban legends, and imagination, and the role they've played in our technical and scientific breakthroughs.
44:0215/12/2023
Episode 101 - Cnidaria - Corals, Anemones, Jellyfish, Hydra, and relatives
Welcome to Episode 101! In today's show, we'll continue our exploration of the early metazoans by focusing on the large and diverse clade Cnidaria. Here we will see all manner of jellyfish, corals, and sea anemones, among many other bizarre and strange relatives, including tiny filter feeders and obligate parasites. This will be a deep dive to meet some of the weirdest animals alive today.
01:24:5116/11/2023
Episode 100 - The Ediacaran Biota
Welcome to Episode 100! Today's special episode will be a deep dive into the world of the Ediacaran biota. We'll explore the early days of the Ediacaran, and the changing world that would give rise to the earliest animal-like organisms. Then, we'll follow their evolution through the Avalon, the White Sea, and the Nama time periods to see how this Ediacaran life evolves, diversifies, and eventually responds to the presence of new forms in the early Cambrian. In this way, we will learn how the Ediacaran biota set the stage for all animal life that would follow after them.
02:47:3515/10/2023
Episode 99 - Ctenophora - The Comb Jellies
Welcome to Episode 99! Todays show will explore the strange and cryptic creatures known as the Ctenophora, or the comb jellies. These incredible and basal animals are quite unlike anything else in the sea, such that they may hold the secrets to many long-standing mysteries of early animal evolution.
52:0415/09/2023
Episode 98 - Porifera - The Sponges
Welcome to Episode 98! Today we will be exploring the anatomy, life cycle, and ecology of the most basal animal lineage with children still alive today; the sponges. These unassuming filter feeders are revealed to be extremely fascinating and complex creatures, critical to marine ecology.
01:02:1115/08/2023
Episode 97 - Early Metazoan Evolution
Welcome to Episode 97! Today we'll be exploring the evolution of the animal lineage, starting way back over a billion years ago with the ancesetral Opisthokonta. We'll look at how the earliest multicellular creatures formed the first animals, and the first lineages of animals that really took off and successfully colonized the worlds oceans, with descendents still swimming around to this day.
45:5515/07/2023
Episode 96 - Vertebrata V - Mammals
In this final episode on our phylogenetic exploration of the deutereostomes and the vertebrates, we'll take a look at the taxonomy and biodiversity of the mammals. The clade is the least species-rich of all the vertebrates, but their size and abundance make them key shapers of terrestrial, and many aquatic, ecosystems.
47:2816/06/2023
Episode 95 - Vertebrata IV - Birds
In this exciting episode of the podcast, we'll explore the taxonomy and biodiversity of the surviving descendants of the dinosaurs; the modern birds.
38:3012/05/2023
Episode 94 - Vertebrata III - Reptiles
Hello and welcome to Episode 94! Today we'll be exploring the taxonomy of the reptiles, those sturdy tetrapods that diverged from their amphibian ancestors, during the warmer, drier period after the collapse of the Carboniferous rainforests.
34:5818/04/2023
Episode 93 - Vertebrata II - Amphibians
Welcome to Episode 93! Today we follow the vertebrates as they evolve out of the water, by exploring the taxonomy and phylogeny of the amphibians.
36:3714/03/2023
Episode 92 - Vertebrata I - Fish
Welcome to Episode 92! Today we will be exploring the taxonomy and phylogenetics of the most basal vertebrate clade; the fish.
44:0519/02/2023
Episode 91 - Echinoderms
Welcome to Episode 91! Today we'll introduce the Deuterostome animals, and explore the taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships within the most basal extant branch; the Echinoderms.
39:5519/01/2023
Episode 90 - Arthropoda IV - Insects
Welcome to Episode 90! This will be an exploration of the taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of the largest and most biodiverse animal clade on the planet; the Insects.
52:3715/12/2022
Episode 89 - Arthropoda III - Crustaceans
Welcome to Episode 89! Today we'll be exploring the enormous diversity of the crustaceans, from the tiniest arthropods that make up the zooplankton, to the largest crabs and lobsters.
45:5221/11/2022
Episode 88 - Arthropoda II - Myriapods
Welcome to Episode 88! We'll dig into the earth to explore the terrestrial world of the millipedes, the centipedes, and all the tiny symphylans and pauropods.
32:5915/11/2022
Episode 87 - Arthropoda I - Arachnids
Welcome to Episode 87! Today we'll begin an adventurous exploration of the arthropods, starting with the oldest arthropod lineage that has survived into the modern day: the arachnids!
39:0819/09/2022
Episode 86 - Mollusks
Welcome to Episode 86! Enjoy a brief overview of each major clade, and the evolutionary relationships, within the Mollusk phylum.
34:2019/08/2022
Episode 85 - World of Worms
Welcome to Episode 85, which will explore all the worms and worm-like creatures that live across our planet, in all habitats, in all ecological niches.
48:1827/06/2022
Episode 84 - Protostomes & Deuterostomes
Very early in the evolutionary history of animals, there was a divergance that would ultimately lead to the creation of two major divisions in the Kingdom Animalia; the Protostomes & Deuterostomes. In this episode, we'll explore this ancient evolutionary split, the physiological differences between the two clades, and the modern descendant species that represents them today.
46:1326/04/2022
Episode 83 - Animal Hormones
The animal endocrine system is a complex decentralized chemical communication network that coordinates growth and homeostasis across the whole organism. Hormones are a critical component of this system, and we'll explore the many forms they can take. And while we're on the topic of glands, we'll also cover the basics of the exocrine system.
52:5326/04/2022
Episode 82 - Animal Nerves
Today we'll examine the chemistry, anatomy, and physiology of the animal nervous system, from action potentials to neural circuits to animal behavior.
49:1918/02/2022
Episode 81 - Animal Immunity
In this episode, we'll explore the complex dynamics of the defensive system that protects animals from the countless microbes and pathogens they encounter every day: the immune system!
44:2722/11/2021
Episode 80 - Animal Respiration
In this episode, we'll explore both the chemistry and physiology of animal respiration. This will also involve a brief exploration of the cardiovascular system, which is integral to the function of the respiratory system.
46:2204/08/2021
Episode 79 - Animal Form & Function
The subtle but foundational relationship between form and function can be seen at all levels of biological organization, from cells to tissues to organs to limbs and body plans.
52:2226/07/2021
Episode 78 - Animal Movement
The ability to move, freely & autonomously, is one of the defining characteristics of all but the most basal animals, distinguishing them from the stationary plants, and the creeping fungi.
39:5011/05/2020
Episode 77 - Animal Reproduction
Animals are some of the most complex and dynamic organisms on Earth, and their mechanisms for reproduction are just as varied and complex.
39:3929/04/2020
Episode 76 - Animal Sensoria
An animal uses its senses to perceive and engage with the world around it, which is critical when you can move around an environment, searching for prey, and escaping predators.
41:3413/04/2020
Episode 75 - Animal Nutrition
All animals must eat food to survive, but how an animal eats, how often, and what it eats, play a fundamental role in the animal's evolution.
36:1531/03/2020
Episode 74 - Animal Hydration
Water is critical for life. So how does the animal body use its water? How does it maintain a healthy osmotic balance, to sustain life?
34:4516/03/2020
Episode 73 - Animal Development
Compared to plants and fungi, the animals have the most complex bodies, with the most complex body systems. Today, we'll explore the process of development that creates this complex animal body.
40:0403/03/2020
Episode 72 - Humans & Fungi
Today we'll be exploring the diverse and exciting ways in which Humans have used the many fungal species that share our planet.
44:0817/02/2020
Episode 71 - Basidiomycota
The basidiomycota are one of the most advanced and diverse groups of fungi, including all the puffballs, conks, and traditional mushrooms.
41:2104/02/2020
Episode 70 - Ascomycota
The ascomycota are one of two major divisions with the 'higher fungi'. Along with the basidiomycota, they have come to dominate the fungal kingdom, and have spread across all Earthly habitats.
34:5720/01/2020
Episode 69 - Glomeromycota
Hidden in the soil, the glomeromycota fungi seek out and fuse with the roots of plants, to engage in a symbiosis that sustains the worlds forests.
32:4606/01/2020
Episode 68 - Early Protozoa & Monokarya
The mysterious origin of the fungal lineage generated a diversity of fungal protozoa, which would give rise to the earliest true fungi.
38:3323/12/2019
Episode 67 - Fungal Evolution
The story of fungal evolution is shrouded in mystery, but what little evidence there is, suggests an incredibly long history that fundamentally influences all life on Earth.
37:3810/12/2019
Episode 66 - Fungal Ecology
The fungal organism engages with its community and environment in countless ways; without the fungi, much of life on Earth would not be possible.
38:4308/12/2019
Episode 65 - Fungal Reproduction
Among all the branches on the tree of life, the fungi have perhaps the most complex, diverse, and exotic means of reproducing, both sexually and asexually.
41:3311/11/2019