For thousands of years donkeys were an integral part of human life.  Modern life has taken most of the burden off burros backs but what does the future hold for our equine companions?

Shane takes a deep dive into ungulate evolution and contemplates how hooves ambled their way along various branches on the tree of life to figure out how donkeys even came to exist in the first place.

This week’s guest is Colorado State University, Dr. Sarah King joins the show.  In collaboration with USGS, Dr. King leads research on the behavior, ecology, and demography of feral horses and burros in the American west. Through her position as co-chair of the IUCN/SSC Equid Specialist Group, Dr. King works with researchers to conserve endangered equids around the world. Additionally Dr. King is a professional animal trainer, offering training and behavior support for dogs and horses.

If you are in need of dog, horse, or donkey training, check out Sarah’s Brenin Behavior https://breninbehavior.com/ for a free zoom consultation and if you happen to be in Colorado, there are in person opportunities.

InShane Deal of the week: The clothes in this episode were by Threyda .  Save 10% (and support this show) with offer code ‘InShane’.

In his latest book, The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire, British paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and wry wordsmith Henry Gee examines humanity’s precarious journey on the tree of life.

For millions of years, small groups of scrappy, upright apes have lived “one meal away from starvation and two meals away from extinction.” Yet, against all odds, humans went from extras in the drama of life to a lead role in Earth’s history.

Join comedian Shane Mauss and scientist Henry Gee as they share laughs, insights, and philosophies about humanity's past, present, and future. Take a break from the day-to-day grind to explore the unfathomably vast scale of time we miraculously find ourselves existing within.

If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out Shane and Henry’s two previous conversations on Shane’s long-running science podcast, Here We Are.

If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out Shane and Henry’s two previous conversations on Shane’s long-running science podcast, https://www.herewearepodcast.com/

Want to get Henry Gee's books while supporting local bookstores and this show INSTEAD of corporate monopolies? https://bookshop.org/lists/guest-books-inshanely-curious

Use code 'fossils' to get free shipping on our latest lotus offerings at https://www.mypurplelady.com/

Randal Roberts is the InShanely talented painter creating the evolving show art https://www.allofthisisforyou.com/

Special thanks to audio guru Logan Keith for editing and co-producing this series https://loganraykeith.com/

Shane Mauss shares the origin story of his interest in life’s origin story.

A hobby of watching nature documentaries turned into a full-blown science obsession that sent Shane’s comedy career careening off the traditional stand-up path and onto a unique journey of getting to use humor to explore the hidden underpinnings seeding the tree of life.

Happy Feast of The Ass!