The Primordial Soup Pot

Bugs! Rustin starts off with the lacewing. Learn about this bug's usage by farmers, antipredator behaviors, and habit of wearing insect corpses. Aaron follows with the biology of tortoise beetle larvae and their....unique methods for dealing with predators.

Weird Diets and Niches! Aaron starts off with the Epomis beetles, a group of carabid beetles that have evolved to feed on frogs many times their size. learn about how these grubs manage to subdue their amphibian prey, and the unique environmental conditions that lead to its evolution. Rustin follows with the various species of cleaner wrasse fish. Learn about the good (cleaning mutualists), the bad (the occasional mucus-snacking wrasse), and the ugly (the cleaner wrasse mimics).

Spring is here! Join Rustin and Aaron as they discuss some of the sights and sounds of springtime. Rustin begins with the mating calls of alligators (and a brief history of how they influenced a certain iconic dinosaur roar). Aaron follows with the biology of the elusive blue ghost firefly and the impacts of firefly-based tourism.

Succulents! Aaron Starts off with the biology of the creeping Devil cactus, Stenocereus Eurca. Learn about the the unique adaptions this cactus has to allow it to crawl, and the unique conditions that lead it its evolution, Rustin follows with Lithops plants. Learn about how these plants survive the harsh South African deserts through the usage of their special light-refracting, pebble-mimicking, fortune-teller-looking leaves.

Human-Animal Coworkers! Rustin Discusses the mind-boggling Honey Guide. Learn how this bird has co-evolved alongside humans to aid in wild honey gathering. Aaron follows with how 8 mussels help protect an entire city's water supply,

Back from the brink! Aaron and Rustin both cover two different conservation success stories. Aaron starts with the black-footed ferret, discussing the key reasons for their decline, their rediscovery, and the challenges they still face today. Rustin follows with the habitat restoration of the Kirtland warbler. Learn about how studying habitats influences animal conservation, how conserving one animal can benefit an entire ecosystem and the antiquated "sport" of ferret legging.

Streams! Rustin starts us with a discussion about beavers and their role in habitat creation and promoting biodiversity through the construction of their dams. Aaron follows with the Gillbach, a unique German stream kept at tropical temperatures year-round. Learn about all the tropical fish that have established themselves in this man-made ecosystem.

We return to the Deep! Aaron starts off with Movile Cave. This cave has been sealed off from the surface world for over 5 million years. Learn more about this incredible discovery and the rare wildlife that inhabits it. Rustin follows with a bit on a few of the deep sea's most fascinating fishes, the Whale fish and the Big Nose. Learn more about the discovery that changed everything we knew about these two bizarre species.

We're crab people now! Rustin starts off with a bit of the biology of the boxer crabs, a unique species that caries two small anemone in their pinchers.. Learn about how these crabs use their anemone symbiotic friends to catch food, defend from predators, and engage in vigorous dance-offs. Aaron follows with the bizarre evolutionary history of the Samurai crab. These crabs were named after the Heike, due to the face like pattern on the back of their shell. Learn how for decades, the evolution of these crabs was once thought to be influenced by a naval battle in medieval Japan.

Amphibians! Aaron starts off with a very peculiar tree frog, the only frog species known to eat fruits and (maybe) pollinate flowers. Rustin follows with the mythical Japanese giant salamander. Learn the unique biology behind this species, their conservation status, and how they influenced the legend of the Kappa.