Bedrock: Earth's Earliest History

Welcome to Season 3 of Bedrock!

This season will cover the Paleoarchean Era, from 3.6 to 3.2 billion years ago, or March to April on the "Earth Calendar". Get ready for more fossils and strange new rocks! In this episode, we'll see why Season 3 begins and ends when it does: an extinction? an impact? or something more random?

On the way, we'll visit geology's great "Council of Time", meet a bishop who was a founder of modern geology, and make a cake on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

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While we're on a break between seasons, and while I'm starting my new job, I figured this would be a nice palate cleanser. There's no script, just answers like I'd actually give in person.

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Today, I talk about the day I fell in love with "fossil pond scum", some of my favorite field locations, and my favorite time period in Earth history. Enjoy!

Get caught up on Season 2!

The Eoarchean Era covers 4 to 3.6 billion years ago, Feb 15 to March 19 on the Earth Calendar. Highlights include: the oldest rock on Earth (24), a dimmer Sun (28), the Man in the Moon (35), the oldest ash (46) the oldest uncontested(-ish) evidence for life (50), and the oldest rocks in the USA (55).

While you wait for Season 3, check out patreon.com/bedrockpodcast for episodes of Hometown Geology, or bedrockpodcast.com for helpful scripts and images! Thanks for all the support!

Season 2 Finale!

For 50 years, the title of "USA's Oldest Rock" was held on the prairies of western Minnesota. In 2025, that throne was usurped by a brand new study. Where is this "new" ancient location, what rocks are here, and how old are they? Stay tuned to find out!

Dylan has an exciting announcement: he has a new visiting professor job at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota! Thanks to everyone for their support.

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We finally end our great Greenland adventure with one final question: how did all these diverse rocks become squeezed together, 3.6 billion years ago? The answer to that question can tell us a lot about how the early Earth worked. According to some folks, plate tectonics was very similar to today. To others, Earth was a very alien world indeed. Along the way, we'll visit trenches off the coast of Japan, and turn our hands into tectonic plates.

Dylan also has an exciting announcement: he has a new visiting professor job at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota! Thanks to everyone for their support.

Speaking of which, if you want to donate:

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At long last, we finish the cliffhanger from Episode 52!

Last time, I introduced one of the greatest debates in paleontology and geology. Are a few little triangles on the Greenland tundra Earth's oldest visible fossils, or just some funny-looking rocks? Today, we'll discuss both sides like a court case, laying out a decade of debate. This has been an episode Dylan has waited a long, long time to produce!

Click here to see images of the triangles!

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Good news: After six months, my girlfriend's hospital odyssey is wrapping up for now.

Bad news: My visiting professorship at GVSU has finally ended, and the job hunt continues.

For better and for worse, I have more time to return to the podcasts. Bedrock and Hometown Geology will alternate on Wednesdays. The Brisbane episode of Hometown Geology will air June 24 for Patreon subscribers, and Episode 53 of Bedrock will air July 1.

Thank you all for your patience once again, I'm excited to get behind the microphone again!

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This brief update explains the long pause in episodes. A month ago, my girlfriend had a major, sudden hospital visit. The operation went smoothly, but there are many more hospital visits in the next few months. Episodes will return, but probably not until March. As always, thank you for your patience and well wishes!

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Until now, all the clues for ancient life have been microscopic, beyond the realm of sight. Today, that begins to change. Ten years ago, a team of scientists showed the world a weird, lumpy rock that they claimed was the oldest microbial colony. Like a sci-fi movie, this specimen was found under melting ice in the high Arctic, unveiled from 3.7 billion years ago. But is it actually a fossil? Welcome to the debate that has defined my corner of geology.

Extra Credit: Check your house for hard water damage, or watch The Thing (1982).

Want bonus content? Check out the Patreon!

Here's a new monthly podcast that Dylan's releasing on Patreon! Hometown Geology focuses on cities/locations around the world, chosen by patrons. This pilot episode highlights Dylan's current hometown of Grand Rapids, MI, home of gypsum mines, coal forests, and mastodon skeletons.

Want to hear next month's episode on Asuncion, Paraguay's capital, or to pick your own destination? Click here to sign up on Patreon!