Episode 172 - Toothed Whales

For much of their evolutionary history, whales have been divided into two main lineages: baleen whales and toothed whales. The toothed variety are especially diverse today, including sperm whales, belugas, porpoises, and so, so many dolphins (among others). This episode, we explore what makes toothed whales distinct – besides the obvious – and what the whale fossil record tells us about how they came to be among the most successful marine animals in Earth history.

In the news: leaf-eating birds, tiny whales, whale-like reptiles, and giant whales.

Time markers:Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00News: 00:07:25Main discussion, Part 1: 00:42:45Main discussion, Part 2: 01:24:15Patron question: 02:23:45

Check out our blog for bonus info and pictures:http://commondescentpodcast.com/

Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast

Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here:https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/

We’re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent

Or make a one-time donation via PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/4c68u4hp

Find merch at the Common Descent Store! http://zazzle.com/common_descent

Join the Common Descent Discord server! https://discord.gg/CwPBxdh9Ev

Follow and Support us on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/CommonDescentPCFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/commondescentpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/commondescentpodcast/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePRXHEnZmTGum2r1l2mduwPodBean: https://commondescentpodcast.podbean.com/

You can email us at commondescentpodcast(at)gmail.comOr send us physical mail at:The Common Descent Podcast1735 W State of Franklin Rd. Ste 5 #165Johnson City, TN 37604

The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.More music like this at http://ocremix.org.

Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/