«
»

BBC In Our Time Covers the Evolution of Whales

One of my favorite podcasts is BBC4′s In Our Time.  The host Melvyn Bragg covers all sorts of interesting topics from science to history and philosophy with a panel of experts.  This week he discusses the evolution of whales with three scientists working in the area of genetics and mamalian paleonotlogy.  They describe the newest fossil evidence and also go into how scientists are using the DNA of modern animals to learn how we are all related.  This fascinating piece also happens to mention on of our favorite creatures – Pakicetus!

Right click link and select “Save target as…” to download and listen to The Whale: A History.

Subscribe to the In Our Time podcast here.

, ,

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 at 2:01 pm and is filed under Audio. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  1. No comments yet.
(will not be published)
Subscribe to comments feed
  1. No trackbacks yet.

  • Shop Evolvems
  • Evolvems on the Web
    Evolvems on Facebook
    Evolvems on Twitter
  •  
    17

    Microbe Finds Arsenic Tasty; Redefines Life


    New Microbe Samples

    NASA scientists have discovered an amazing new life-form that redefines what we consider to be the basic building blocks of life.

    A microbe found at the bottom of Mono Lake in California seems able to live in a solution of arsenic which is poisonous to most other life.  Phosphorus, which used to be considered one of the essential building blocks of life, is replaced by arsenic in this organism.

    Dr. Sasselov, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and director of an institute on the origins of life there said, “I would like to know, when designing experiments and instruments to look for life [on other planets], whether I should be looking for same stuff as here on Earth, or whether there are other options.  Are we going to look for same molecules we love and know here, or broaden our search?”

    Seems like we have aliens right here on earth!!!

    Original NYTimes article…
    Dec 10