61 min listen
Episode 160: An introduction to Evolutionary Biology
FromPalaeocast
ratings:
Length:
67 minutes
Released:
Mar 22, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
The field of evolutionary biology has been greatly influenced by the development of modern genetic methodology. The understanding of genes, genomes and the molecular mechanisms key to life on Earth are all goals of evolutionary biology in the 21st century, yet its potential applications seem to be near limitless. Palaeontology and evolutionary biology continue to be closely related and both, with their deeply rooted origins, have been essential to our understanding of macroevolution (major evolutionary change over long periods of time) ever since the major development of the theory in the 19th century. In this episode, Prof. Erica Bree Rosenblum introduces us to this diverse and constantly evolving field. We cover fundamental questions such as: what are genes and genomes and why does understanding them matter; which evolutionary roles do environmental and genetic mechanisms play; and what ultimately causes the rise and fall of species. In order to better understand life on Earth, we show how evolutionary biology brings together the fields of genetics, biochemistry, ecology, palaeontology and more.
Released:
Mar 22, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Episode 10: Carboniferous Arthropods: We talk to Dr. Russell Garwood about the Carboniferous, the land animals which were around at the time, and the techniques he uses to study these by Palaeocast