Best Naturalscience Podcasts (2023)

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Paleo Bites

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Dacentrurus, the One with the Tail Full of Points 22:22

3d ago22:22

22:22

(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Dacentrurus) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Dacentrurus, a dinosaur from Europe that had a bunch of points at its end and a set of symmetrical plates on its front, kind of like if a dinner table was a dinosaur. From the Late Jurassic, this 30-foot stegosaur is one of the …

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Field, Lab, Earth

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Recovering Amaranth Seeds from Manure with Drs. Anthony Brusa and Melissa Wilson 47:16

7d ago47:16

47:16

“Comparison of methods to recover amaranth weed seeds from manure” with Drs. Anthony Brusa and Melissa Wilson, Minnesota State University Palmer Amaranth is a pesky pest that can devastate crops, and when this sneaky pest’s seeds creep into animal feed, they can find their way into unsuspecting farmers’ fields. This episode, Drs. Anthony Brusa and …

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Paleo Bites

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Peltephilus, the Armor Lover 21:15

10d ago21:15

21:15

(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Peltephilus) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Cici Eilert discuss Peltephilus, a large armadillo with the squarest ass you’ve ever seen. Seriously, there’s just flesh and fur one inch and then none the next. From the Oligocene epoch, this 6-foot xenathran mammal was thought to be a predator at f…

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Sasquatch Tracks

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Esteban Sarmiento: Monstrous Primatology | ST 045 1:58:35

15d ago1:58:35

1:58:35

In this installment of Sasquatch Tracks, we catch up with primatologist Esteban Sarmiento, an expert in hominid evolution and researcher renowned for his interest in the speculative side of vertebrate zoology, particularly when it comes to Sasquatch. Sarmiento is a primatologist and vertebrate zoologist whose main area of focus involves the skeleto…

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Paleo Bites

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Diplodocus, the Double-Beamed One 23:50

18d ago23:50

23:50

(image source: https://a-z-animals.com/animals/diplodocus/) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O’Regan discuss Diplodocus, the longest of long boys and the absorber of the awesome but sadly now dubious genus Seismosaurus. Earthquake lizard go kaput. Sad. From the Late Jurassic, this 100-foot sauropod lived in the golden age of its family wit…

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Field, Lab, Earth

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Global Reliance on Corn Belt Dent with Dr. Stephen Smith 53:34

21d ago53:34

53:34

“Global Dependence Upon Corn Belt Dent Maize Germplasm: Challenges and Opportunities” with Dr. Stephen Smith, Affiliate Professor at Iowa State University Plant breeders are constantly trying to find the best crosses to increase the traits farmers and consumers want. However, continually crossing the same varieties can decrease the genetic gene poo…

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Paleo Bites

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Mammut, the Mastodon 28:57

25d ago28:57

28:57

(image source: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2208044119) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Mammut, also known as the American mastodon because this is one of those creatures that has a generic name as well as a scientific name, like why we called lions lions instead of P. leo like we do T. rex. From the Late Plioce…

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Paleo Bites

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Halszkaraptor, the Thief of Halszka Osmolska 19:20

1M ago19:20

19:20

(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Halszkaraptor) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Halszkaraptor, a relative of those monstrous raptors more akin to a duck or goose, which is actually far more terrifying. From the Late Cretaceous, this 2-foot dromaeosaur had numerous adaptations for fishing and a semi-aquatic…

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Paleo Bites

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Geosternbergia, of George Sternberg 25:13

1M ago25:13

25:13

(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Geosternbergia) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O’Regan discuss Geosternbergia, a pterosaur that really wants you to know it’s named after George Sternberg as its binomial name is Geosternbergia sternbergi. How much did the Sternberg estate pay for this, I wonder? From the Late Cretaceous, …

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Sasquatch Tracks

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Lailani Upham and Carrie Lynn Bear Chief: The Pikuni Bigfoot Storytelling Project | ST 044 1:28:52

1M ago1:28:52

1:28:52

In this installment of Sasquatch Tracks, the team is joined by Lailani Upham and Carrie Lynn Bear Chief, Blackfeet Tribe members and creators of the Pikuni Bigfoot Storytelling Project. Lailani Upham is a member of the Blackfeet Nation, and is president and lead creative of Iron Shield Creative. A journalist by trade, she loves adventure and explor…

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Paleo Bites

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Saurophaganax, the King of the Lizard Eaters 20:10

2M ago20:10

20:10

(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/saurophaganax_maximus_by_atrox1-d4ff5qy_b2a7.jpg) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Saurophaganax, the biggest and baddest Jurassic predator that truly makes Allosaurus the “other lizard” that it’s so named. And by that, we means it makes Allosaurus its bitch. From the Lat…

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Field, Lab, Earth

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Controlled Freezing Experiments in Perennial Flax with Dr. Neil Anderson 51:55

2M ago51:55

51:55

“Controlled Freezing Studies as a Corollary Selection Method for Winterhardiness in Perennial Flax (Linum spp.)” with Neil Anderson, Professor & Interim Department Head at the Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota Flax is an important crop worldwide for its many uses, but as with all plants, its global use is limited by the c…

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Paleo Bites

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Genyodectes, the Jaw Biter 19:48

2M ago19:48

19:48

(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/Genyodectes-maniraptora_be4c.jpg) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Genyodectes, a dinosaur no one’s heard of and no one cares about so therefore no one should complain when we assumedly and repeatedly mispronounce its name throughout the episode. From the Early Cretaceous…

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Paleo Bites

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Paleoparadoxia, the Ancient Enigma 29:51

2M ago29:51

29:51

(image source: https://a-z-animals.com/animals/paleoparadoxia/) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Paleoparadoxia, a marine mammal with a pretty on-the-nose name in that it’s a paleontological paradox. At least in the enigma sense; we don’t think there was any time travel involved. From the Miocene epoch, this 12-foot desmos…

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Field, Lab, Earth

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Decode 6 with DJ May 19:31

2M ago19:31

19:31

This time, we take a break from our regularly scheduled programming for a brief interview and sample episode from our sister podcast, Decode 6. Contact us at podcast@sciencesocieties.org or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don’t forget to subscribe. If …

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Paleo Bites

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Torosaurus, the Perforated Lizard 18:34

2M ago18:34

18:34

(image source: https://bit.ly/3K1kgNM) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O’Regan discuss Torosaurus, a dinosaur very distinct from Triceratops regardless of what Jack Horner tells you in a wide variety of ways that I cannot think of right now. But Horner can’t win! We won’t let him! From the Late Cretaceous, this 30-foot chasmosaurine cerat…

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Paleo Bites

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Tanidromites nightwishorum, the Crab of the Band Nightwish 9:03

2M ago9:03

9:03

(image source: http://bit.ly/3ZjI592 and an edited stock photo) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Tanidromites nightwishorum, a crab named after the Finnish symphonic metal band that has nothing whatsoever notable about it and is thusly the first truly bite-sized Paleo Bites episode. We might have more of these to discuss …

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Sasquatch Tracks

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Kathy Strain: An Anthropologist's Search for Sasquatch | ST 043 1:22:00

2M ago1:22:00

1:22:00

In this installment of Sasquatch Tracks, the team is joined by anthropologist and Sasquatch researcher Kathy Strain, author of the book, Giants, Cannibals & Monsters: Bigfoot in Native Culture. Kathy Strain is the Heritage Resource and Tribal Relations Programs Manager for the Stanislaus National Forest in Sonora, California. She has a M.A. in Anth…

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Paleo Bites

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Herrerasaurus, the Lizard of Victorino Herrera 26:45

3M ago26:45

26:45

(image source: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/herrerasaurus-ischigualastensis-sergey-krasovskiy.html) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Herrerasaurus, one of the earliest dinosaurs and yet still a rather big boi that I would not want to mess with. Look at dat boi! I’m hip, bro. From the Mid Triassic, this 20-foot carn…

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Field, Lab, Earth

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Humor in the Classroom with Dr. Andrés Varhola 52:15

3M ago52:15

52:15

Episode Title: Humor in the Classroom with Dr. Andrés Varhola Show notes: ““His lectures were like watching a show on Netflix”: A success story of laugh tracks in prerecorded undergraduate lessons” with Dr. Andrés Varhola. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, teachers had to rapidly adapt to new, fully online teaching environments. For Andrés, who had a…

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Paleo Bites

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Coelophysis, the Hollow Form 28:15

3M ago28:15

28:15

(image source: https://dinosaurpictures.org/Coelophysis-pictures) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Coelophysis, the archetypal early dinosaur despite some rather advanced features compared to earlier dinosaurs, one of which we’ll talk about next week! A bit of a sausage sizzle there for the listeners. From the Late Triass…

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Sasquatch Tracks

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Buck Buckingham: Australian Yowies Caught on Film | ST 042 1:50:51

3M ago1:50:51

1:50:51

In this installment of Sasquatch Tracks, the team is joined by Australian researcher Buck Buckingham, who shares his knowledge about Australian Yowies, the purported relict hominoid that occupies the remote wilds of the Land Down Under. Buckingham is a member of the group Australian Yowie Research, and has been hooked on Yowie studies ever since he…

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Paleo Bites

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Pezosiren, the Walking Manatee 26:06

3M ago26:06

26:06

(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Pezosiren) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Pezosiren, a hippo-like ancestor of manatees when they weren’t quite sea cows but sea-ish cows. Semiaquatic cows. Except not cows. From the Eocene epoch, this 7-foot sirenian mammal lived quite the peaceful life in its lagoon habit…

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Paleo Bites

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Gigantoraptor, the Gigantic Thief 21:42

3M ago21:42

21:42

(image source: https://dinosaurpictures.org/Gigantoraptor-pictures) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Gigantoraptor, which, like the name suggests, is a gigantic raptor. A big Oviraptor, not Velociraptor, since they’re two totally different families. Pay attention. From the Late Cretaceous, this 26-foot oviraptorosaur brow…

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Paleo Bites

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Carbonemys, the Coal Turtle 17:40

4M ago17:40

17:40

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonemys) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Carbonemys, an enormous super predator that gives Raphael a run for his money in terms of turtle aggression and edginess. From the Early Paleocene, this 10-foot turtle chomped on crocodiles and fought giant snakes such as Titanoboa, …

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Field, Lab, Earth

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The Roots of Drought Resistance with Dr. Maryse Bourgault and Jessica Williams 43:48

4M ago43:48

43:48

“Relationships between roots, the stay-green phenotype, and agronomic performance in barley and wheat grown in semi-arid conditions” with Dr. Maryse Bourgault and Jessica Williams. Roots are an important factor in drought-resistance as they are the primary way by which plants uptake the water they need to survive. However, measuring roots can be a …

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Sasquatch Tracks

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Gregory Forth: A Living Fossil Hominoid in Modern Indonesia? | ST 041 1:19:25

4M ago1:19:25

1:19:25

Joining the team for this installment of Sasquatch Tracks is Gregory Forth, a retired professor of anthropology at the University of Alberta. He earned his PhD from the University of Oxford in 1980. Beginning in 1986, Forth was a professor at the University of Alberta for over thirty years. Forth is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and is a…

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Paleo Bites

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Iguanodon, the Iguana Tooth 30:53

4M ago30:53

30:53

(image source: https://dinosaurpictures.org/Iguanodon-pictures) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Iguanodon, a dinosaur that’s not an iguana nor known for its teeth, so its chosen name is a real mystery. From the Early Cretaceous, this 30-foot ornithopod was one of the first dinosaurs discovered and was a bulky bro for sur…

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Paleo Bites

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Protoavis, the First Bird 19:00

4M ago19:00

19:00

(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Protoavis) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O’Regan discuss Protoavis, a highly controversial fossil that might disrupt the entire evolutionary line leading to birds, but also, probably not. From the Late Triassic, this 1-foot reptile might have been an early dinosaur, another type of archos…

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Paleo Bites

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Mussaurus, the Mouse Lizard 27:58

4M ago27:58

27:58

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mussaurus) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Mussaurus, a teeny tiny dinosaur in a family of giant dinosaurs, except those tiny fossils were actually of babies and the adults were fairly large anyways. Your one novelty was a lie, Mussaurus. From the Early Jurassic, this 20-foot s…

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Paleo Bites

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Tullimonstrum, the Monster of Francis Tully 16:35

5M ago16:35

16:35

(image source: http://bit.ly/3QDvTx7) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Tullimonstrum, an anomaly and enigma in every sense of the word and proof that evolution has a twisted sense of humor. From the Late Carboniferous, this 1-foot… thing has been suggested to be from a multitude of different lineages. Personally, I think …

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Field, Lab, Earth

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3D Fruit Form Reconstruction with Dr. Mitchell Feldmann 53:28

5M ago53:28

53:28

“Cost-effective, high-throughput phenotyping system for 3D reconstruction of fruit form” with Dr. Mitchell Feldmann Various research and breeding programs study phenotypical traits—or traits that can be discerned via the five senses—to evaluate the quality of their target crops. However, getting data on these traits, often via human-made measuremen…

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Paleo Bites

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Dracoraptor, the Draconic Thief 23:40

5M ago23:40

23:40

(image source: http://bit.ly/3ZuaOcH) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Christina Eilert discuss Dracoraptor, the very first Jurassic dinosaur known and a survivor of the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction, the one everyone seems to forget for some reason. It was a multiple impact event, people! Probably. From the Early Jurassic, this 3-foot coe…

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Sasquatch Tracks

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Nathaniel Bronis: Michigan Encounters and Sasquatch Studies | ST 040 1:24:20

5M ago1:24:20

1:24:20

As the team returns from a seasonal hiatus to officially kick off 2023, we are joined by Nathaniel Bronis, a Sasquatch researcher from Michigan's lower peninsula who currently resides in Idaho, and previously spent time in Washington. An avid outdoorsman, he has been collecting reports and conducting field research into the relict hominoid mystery …

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Paleo Bites

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Phorusrhacos, the Wrinkle Bearer 22:10

5M ago22:10

22:10

(image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/312366924155667804/) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O’Regan discuss Phorusrhacos, the last hurrah of giant land-based theropod dinosaurs as top predators, ruling well after non-avian dinosaurs went extinct. That’s not funny, just cool, but then again these descriptions aren’t really funny anyw…

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Paleo Bites

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Oviraptor, the Egg Thief 22:11

5M ago22:11

22:11

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oviraptor) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Oviraptor, the most unfairly judged dinosaur found fossilized with a bunch of eggs and thus was assumed to be stealing those eggs rather than nurturing their own. There’s no way this thing could actually be a good mother, now could it…

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Paleo Bites

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Hybodus, the Crooked Tooth 20:16

5M ago20:16

20:16

(image source: https://walkingwith.fandom.com/wiki/Hybodus) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Hybodus, a seemingly ordinary looking shark that might have actually had a temporal range of nearly 200 million years because, evolutionarily speaking, it was perfect. Sharks, man. From the Late Permian to the Late Cretaceous, thi…

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Paleo Bites

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Microraptor, the Tiny Thief 20:58

6M ago20:58

20:58

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microraptor) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Christina Eilert discuss Microraptor, a beautiful ebony gem that went butterfly-mode and had four wings instead of two. Show-off. From the Early Cretaceous, this 2-foot dromaeosaurid might have been capable of true flight, but also might not have, which …

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Field, Lab, Earth

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Optimizing Industrial Hemp Production with Dr. Josh Freeman 45:44

6M ago45:44

45:44

“How do pinching and plant density affect industrial hemp produced for cannabinoids in open field conditions?” with Dr. Josh Freeman. Industrial hemp has only recently been re-introduced in American production systems. Therefore, there’s a lot to learn about how to best produce this versatile crop in American climates. This episode of the Field, La…

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Paleo Bites

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Carnotaurus, the Meat-Eating Bull 22:25

6M ago22:25

22:25

(image source: https://dinosaurpictures.org/Carnotaurus-pictures) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O’Regan discuss Carnotaurus, a carnivore that heard all other dinosaurs end in ‘saurus’ so decided to change one letter to be distinctive. I respect the commitment to bare minimum effort. From the Late Cretaceous, this 25-foot abelisaurid the…

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Paleo Bites

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Acrocanthosaurus, the High Spined Lizard 20:17

6M ago20:17

20:17

(image source: https://dinosaurpictures.org/Acrocanthosaurus-pictures) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Acrocanthosaurus, perhaps the biggest and meanest predator before the mighty rex ever took its first stomp. From the Early Cretaceous, this 38-foot carcharodontosaurid was roughly the size of T. rex, had the spine of Sp…

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Field, Lab, Earth

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Modeling Water Use in Biofuel Crops with Dr. Alexandria Kuhl 47:45

6M ago47:45

47:45

“Root Water Uptake of Biofuel Crops Revealed by Coupled Electrical Resistivity and Soil Water Content Measurements” with Dr. Alexandria Kuhl Biofuel crops can be used to create fuel from renewable plant materials. Corn is the most common example, but as research progresses, scientists are looking to expand their biofuel crop pool to include woody p…

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Paleo Bites

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Platyhystrix, the Flat Porcupine 21:46

6M ago21:46

21:46

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platyhystrix) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Platyhystrix, an amphibian with the head of a frog, the back of a newt, and the sail of a Dimetrodon just for giggles. From the Late Carboniferous, this 3-foot temnospondyl swiftly swam and slithered with its sail-lined spine stick…

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Paleo Bites

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Minmi, of the Minmi Crossing 22:01

7M ago22:01

22:01

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minmi_paravertebra) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Christina Eilert discuss Minmi, a cutesy wittle turtledillo with a cutesy wittle name, one of the shortest names of all dinosaurs if Yi and Zby weren’t a thing. From the Early Cretaceous, this 9-foot ankylosaur nearly got rendered invalid due to i…

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Field, Lab, Earth

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Life Cycle Analyses and Greenhouse Gases with Dr. Hoyoung Kwon 36:36

7M ago36:36

36:36

“Greenhouse gas mitigation strategies and opportunities for agriculture” with Dr. Hoyoung Kwon Agriculture and food systems can be strong contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and, in turn, climate change. However, in the midst of this reality, there are also abundant opportunities to improve our systems, reduce emissions, and move towards…

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Paleo Bites

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Homo neanderthalensis, the Neanderthal 26:01

7M ago26:01

26:01

(image source: http://bit.ly/3UqwgfD ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Homo neanderthalensis, the archetypal caveman and our bulkier, hairier, and dumber cousins, not unlike my bulkier and hairier and dumber cousins down in Mississippi. From the Late Pleistocene, this 5.5 foot tall hominid never really made it that far i…

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Sasquatch Tracks

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Jeff Waldridge: Kentucky Sasquatch, Government Files, and Cryptid Con | ST 039 1:12:46

7M ago1:12:46

1:12:46

In this edition of Sasquatch Tracks, the team is joined by Kentucky researcher Jeff Waldridge, who in addition to being an expert in the study of Sasquatch, is also one of the team members behind the annual CryptidCon event in his home state. Jeff Waldridge is a researcher of Sasquatch with an interest in cryptozoological mysteries and the unexplai…

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Paleo Bites

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Erectopus, the Upright Foot 36:33

7M ago36:33

36:33

(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Erectopus) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss Erectopus, perhaps the worst name of any dinosaur ever, or maybe the best if you're twelve years old. From the Early Cretaceous, this 16-foot long allosaurid has an interesting backstory in regards to the recovery of its fossils, incl…

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Field, Lab, Earth

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Popping Sorghum Performance with Kent Mitchell 35:05

7M ago35:05

35:05

“Assessment of Kernel Characteristics to Predict Popping Performance in Grain Sorghum” with Kent Mitchell Popping sorghum is a niche alternative to popcorn, with no large hulls, a neutral flavor, and smaller kernels. While the tasty snack is growing in popularity, much remains to be learned about the practices that can produce the best popping prod…

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Paleo Bites

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Koshisaurus, the Lizard of the Koshi Region 38:13

7M ago38:13

38:13

(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/Koshisaurus/Koshisaurus_NT_899f.jpg) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Matt David Seivert discuss Koshisaurus, a dinosaur with very little known about it so this episode is basically a sneaky preview episode of Seivert’s other podcast Nerds ‘R Us. From the Early Cretaceous, this 14-foot hadrosa…

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