Paleo Bites

(image source: https://bbc.in/3Rc0j8G)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O’Regan discuss Australotitan, the biggest Australian land animal of all time that probably had venomous tail spines or exploding scales if modern Australian fauna is any indication. From the Mid Cretaceous, this 95-foot titanosaur lived alongside other local dinosaurs like Australovenator, Austroraptor, and Australopithecus… seems to be a real naming theme going on here. And for those about to message me that Australopithecus was actually an African ape rather than an Australian dinosaur: congratulations, you passed the test. Now you’re a true paleo nerd. Have a sticker.

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here, as well as his non-dinosaur-related book "Teslanauts" by clicking here.

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(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiktaalik by Zina Deretsky)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Christina Eilert discuss Tiktaalik, a real asshole that should have known what horrible things crawling onto land would eventually lead to for the world. From the Late Devonian, this 8-foot sarcopterygian has been the subject of many memes using this very image about how it’s personally responsible for all of human suffering, which in all honesty might just be a tad harsh. Wait, rent is due soon and I might lose my insurance? Yeah, frick this guy.

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here, as well as his non-dinosaur-related book "Teslanauts" by clicking here.

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(image source: https://bit.ly/3RFXJbQ)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss Meraxes, a dinosaur named after a dragon in A Song of Ice and Fire that lived about as long ago as George R. R. Martin released his last book. From the Mid Cretaceous, this 45-foot carcharodontosaurid theropod was merely one of a plethora of giant meat-eating dinosaurs in this time and place, although they probably didn’t live all at once, that’d be ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as Game of Thrones Season 8, am I right? I’m topical.

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here, as well as his non-dinosaur-related book "Teslanauts" by clicking here.

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(image source: https://walkingwith.fandom.com/wiki/Koolasuchus)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O’Regan discuss Koolasuchus, a giant amphibian from far later than when giant amphibians were cool, kind of like people today with mohawks or rollerblades. From the Mid Cretaceous, this 16-foot temnospondyl hung out in polar waters too cold for the crocodiles throughout the rest of the world, making it a Cool Crocodile, if you will. That’s where it got its name, surely. I’m sure Lesley Kool is a great paleontologist, but c’mon, you had a lucky name for this.

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here, as well as his non-dinosaur-related book "Teslanauts" by clicking here.

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(image source: https://bit.ly/3QdUyqU)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Christina Eilert discuss Sciurumimus, a predator with a squirrel-like tail that was probably real cuddly if it didn’t have all those needley teeth and claws coming out of it. From the Late Jurassic, this 3-foot tetanuran theropod didn’t have buckteeth or stored nuts but was still sciurine enough for paleontologists to name it such, although depending on your belief on dinosaur genitalia it might have stored its nuts elsewhere.

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here, as well as his non-dinosaur-related book "Teslanauts" by clicking here.

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(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Afrovenator)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Matt David Seivert discuss Afrovenator, a dinosaur that got its title of African Hunter stolen by Carcharodontosaurus, then Dinofelis, then lions, then poachers, then lions again because evil never wins. From the Mid Jurassic, this 25-foot megalosaurid prowled the heart of the continents just as they were splitting up, a messy breakup story if there ever was one. Don’t worry, they’re projected to get back together roughly two hundred million years from now, as although evil never wins, love always does.

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here, as well as his non-dinosaur-related book "Teslanauts" by clicking here. And you can check out the Discord for Matt David's podcast Nerds 'R' Us here: https://discord.gg/PtuCAmXnNn 

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(image source: https://river-monsters.fandom.com/wiki/Megapiranha)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Megapiranha, a really freakin' big piranha. Duh. From the Late Miocene, this 3-foot serrasalmid fish was basically a B-movie monster in real life, although it’s still not nearly as horrifying as that one fish from the same river that swims up your urethra. And that one’s not prehistoric either, but in the modern Amazon, threatening unwary pissers even as you listen to this very episode. Enjoy your nightmares, folks!

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here. 

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(image source: https://www.extinctanimals.org/suchomimus.htm)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss Suchomimus, a dinosaur that despite its genus name’s suffix doesn’t look anything like the other ostrich dinos, almost like it’s in a completely different family or something. From the Early Cretaceous, this 36-foot spinosaurid didn’t have a sail like its family’s namesake nor a large forelimb claw like Baryonyx, but at least it was big! And hey, sometimes being big is all you need to be special. I would definitely know.

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here.

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(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalambdalestes)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Christina Eilert discuss Zalambdalestes, a furry little hopper with a long snout and a rat tail, like if a rabbit and a rat had a baby; a rabbrat, if you will. From the Late Cretaceous, this 7-inch eutherian mammal lived alongside Velociraptor and Protoceratops, meaning it was witness to that event where those two dinosaurs died mid-combat and got fossilized together. Why didn’t it try and save them, huh? I’m on to you, you little rabbrat.

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here. Text-to-speech program found at https://readloud.net/english/british/1-male-voice-brian.html

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(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuiraptor)

Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Matt David Seivert discuss Fukuiraptor, a Japanese dinosaur with a name where the jokes write themselves, but it’d be silly and unprofessional for us to make those jokes. From the Early Cretaceous, this 16-foot megaraptoran theropod is an awesome dinosaur, and if you don’t agree, well, Fuku! …iraptor. What? I said it’d be silly and unprofessional to make those jokes, not that we wouldn’t do them! Have you listened to this show before?

Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content at Patreon.com/MatthewDonald. Also, you can purchase Matthew Donald's dinosaur book "Megazoic" on Amazon by clicking here, its sequel "Megazoic: The Primeval Power" by clicking here, its third installment "Megazoic: The Hunted Ones" by clicking here, or its final installment "Megazoic: An Era's End" by clicking here. And you can check out the Discord for Matt David's podcast Nerds 'R' Us here: https://discord.gg/PtuCAmXnNn 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.