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Biopedia

Biopedia

By Vince's Podcasts

Biology is a fascinating subject which is well worth exploring. Its scope stretches from individual DNA strands and viruses to blue whales, metapopulations and the biosphere. We will shine the spotlight on a different biological concept in every episode. Topics I've covered in the past include the origins of cell theory, Dollo's law and the Anthropocene; however, there is still plenty more to discover. Our focus will range from the very smallest scales to the very largest; from virions to the Gaia hypothesis. So come and explore the fascinating world of biology, one episode at a time!
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49- The Wallace Line

BiopediaSep 12, 2021

00:00
05:52
74- Red Hair

74- Red Hair

1-2% of the world's population have red hair. So, we're giving the phenomenon its own episode! Today, we discuss the gene/protein that causes red hair, as well as its psychological and possible medical effects...


Sources for this episode:

  • Bryant, NIH Research Matters (2021), Study finds link between red hair and pain threshold (online) (Accessed 12/01/2024).
  • Gradwohl, S. C., Aranake, A., Abdallah, A. B., McNair, P., Lin, N., Fritz, B. A., Villafranca, A., Glick, D., Jacobsohn, E., Mashour, G. A. and Avidan, M. S. (2015), Intraoperative awareness risk, anesthetic sensitivity, and anesthetic management for patients with natural red hair: a matched cohort study. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia 62: 345 355.
  • Massachusetts General Hospital, Science Daily (2021), Research reveals why redheads have different pain thresholds (online) (Accessed 12/01/2024).
  • Regan, K. O. (2014), “Red hair in popular culture and the relationship with anxiety and depression”. Thesis submitted for University College, Cork.
  • Rees, J. L. (2000), The Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R): More Than Just Red Hair. Pigment Cell Research 13: 135-140.
  • Robinson, K. C., Kemény, L. V., Fell, G. L., Hermann, A. L., Allouche J., Ding, W., Yekkirala, A., Hsiao, J. J., Su, M. Y., Theodosakis, N., Kozak, G., Takeuchi, Y., Shen, S., Berenyi, A., Mao, J., Woolf, C. J. and Fisher, D. E. (2021), Reduced MC4R signalling alters nociceptive thresholds associated with red hair. Science Advances 7: eabd1310.
  • Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Nociception (online) (Accessed 12/01/2024).
  • Author unknown, Worldometer (date unknown), World Population Clock: 8.1 Billion People (LIVE, 2024) (online) (Accessed 11/01/2024).
Mar 17, 202406:53
73- Islamic Golden Age Evolutionary Theory Part II

73- Islamic Golden Age Evolutionary Theory Part II

You asked, I delivered! In a sequel to our discussion in episode 58, we're going to shine a spotlight on two more thinkers during the Islamic Golden Age. Along the way we'll also see connections with later thinkers and a cameo from episode 69...


Sources for this episode:

  • Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd.
  • Kaack, L. H. and Katul, G. G. (2013), Fifty years to prove Malthus right. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110(11): 4161-4162.
  • Malik, A. H., Ziermann, J. M. and Diogo, R. (2018), An untold story in biology: the historical continuity of evolutionary ideas of Muslim scholars from the 8th century to Darwin’s time. Journal of Biological Education 52(1): 3-17.
  • Waterman, A. M. C. (1987), On the Malthusian Theory of Long Swings. The Canadian Journal of Economics 20(2): 257-270.
  • Author unknown (1888), The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments: Translated out of the original tongues: and with the former translations diligently compared and revised, by His Majesty’s special command. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), al-Biruni (online) (Accessed 11/01/2024).


Mar 02, 202405:09
Darwin Day 2024- Voyage of the Beagle Part I

Darwin Day 2024- Voyage of the Beagle Part I

Darwin Day is upon us for the fourth time! To celebrate, let's follow Charles Darwin on the first part of his famous voyage between late 1831 and early 1832. We'll see him pour over cuttlefish, travel with veterans of the Napoleonic Wars and arrive in a young Brazilian Empire... Sources for this episode: Bannerman, W. M., Lobban, R. A. and Shaw, C. S., Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), History of Cabo Verde (online) (Accessed 08/02/2024). Bethell, L. (1968), The Independence of Brazil and the Abolition of the Brazilian Slave Trade: Anglo-Brazilian Relations, 1822-1826. Journal of Latin American Studies 1(2): 115-147. Bieber, J. (2010), Imperial Brazil (1822-29). In: Holloway, T. H. (2010), A Companion to Latin American History. Chichester: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Bunker, F. St. P., Brodie, J. A., Maggs, C. A. and Bunker, A. R. (2017), Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland (2nd edition). Plymouth: Wild Natural Press. Darwin, C. (1945), The Voyage of the Beagle. London: J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd. Diamond, J. (2007), Easter Island Revisited. Science 317(5845): 1692-1694. Jezierski, M. T., Smith, W. J. and Clegg, S. M. (2023), The island syndrome in birds. Journal of Biogeography 00: 1-16. Litchfield, H. (ed.) (1915), Emma Darwin: A Century of Family Letters (Vol. II). New York: D. Appleton and Company. Martin, P. A. (1921), Causes of the Collapse of the Brazilian Empire. The Hispanic American Historical Review 4(1): 4-48. Whittaker, R. J. and Fernández-Palacios, J.-M. (2007), Island Biogeography: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation (2nd edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Charles II of England (online) (Accessed 08/02/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Robert FitzRoy (online) (Accessed 08/02/2024). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Salvador, Bahia (online) (Accessed 08/02/2024).
Feb 12, 202406:19
72- Alien Species and the Aldrovandi Cache

72- Alien Species and the Aldrovandi Cache

A series of 5000 flowers pressed in the 16th century near Bologna have given scientists an opportunity to see human impacts and the rise of alien species. All while giving us an excuse to touch on what the Columbian exchange actually is...


Sources for this episode:

  • Anteric, I., Basic, Z., Vilovic, K., Kolic, K. and Andjelinovic, S. (2014), Which Theory for the Origin of Syphilis is True? Journal of Sexual Medicine 11: 3112-3118.
  • Buldrini, F., Alessandrini, A., Mossetti, U., Muzzi, E., Pezzi, G., Soldano, A. and Nascimbene, J. (2023), Botanical memory: five centuries of floristic changes revealed by a Renaissance herbarium (Ulisse Aldrovandi, 1551-1586). Royal Society Open Science 10(11): 230866.
  • Guerra, F. (1993), The European-American Exchange. History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences 15: 313-327.
  • Hancock, J. F. (2023), Fifty Years Later- The Legacy of Alfred Crosby’s “The Columbian Exchange: Biological and Cultural Consequences of 1492”. Economic Botany 77(1): 82-102.
  • Harper, K. N., Zuckerman, M. K., Harper, M. L., Kingston, J. D. and Armelagos, G. J. (2011), The Origin and Antiquity of Syphilis Revisited: An Appraisal of Old World Pre-Columbian Evidence for Treponemal Infection. Yearbook of Physical Anthropology 54: 99-133.
  • Lees, D., Lopez-Vaamonde, C., Augustin, S., Biodiversity Heritage Library, Field Museum et al. (2009), Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimic 1986. Encyclopedia of Life, MacArthur Foundation, Sloan Foundation. Ffhal-02824036.
  • McCook, S. (2011), The neo-Columbian exchange: the second conquest of the Greater Caribbean, 1720-1930. Latin American Research Review: 46(S1): 11-31.
  • Milliken, W., Walker, B. E., Howes, M.-J. R., Forest, F. and Lughadha, E. N. (2021), Plants used traditionally as antimalarials in Latin America: Mining the tree of life for potential new medicines. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 279: 114221.
  • Sanz-Biset, J., Campos-de-la-Cruz, J., Epiquién-Rivera, M. A. and Cañigueral, S. (2009), A first survey on the medicinal plants of the Chazuta valley (Peruvian Amazon). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 122: 333-362.
  • Stefanaki, A., Walter, T. and van Andel, T. (2022), Tracing the introduction history of the tulip that went wild (Tulipa sylvestris) in sixteenth-century Europe. Nature Scientific Reports 12: 9786.
  • Weston, P., the Guardian (2023), ‘Inestimable importance’: 500-year-old cache of pressed flowers reveals new secrets (online) (Accessed 17/11/2023).
Feb 04, 202405:19
71- Galactic Cycles in Evolutionary History

71- Galactic Cycles in Evolutionary History

It takes our sun 220 million years to orbit around the middle of our home galaxy. But that kind of timescale can be difficult to picture. So, using the International Stratigraphy Chart as a guidance for what different time periods mean in terms of millions of years, let's zoom out to the scale of a galactic year and see what happened in Earth's prehistory one cycle ago, two and so on.


Sources for this episode:

  • Bach, J. R. (2013), Paradigm paralysis in the management of neuromuscular disease. Journal of Personalized Medicine 11: 24-29.
  • Bottjer, E. J. (2005), The Early Evolution of Animals. Scientific American 293(2): 42-47.
  • Brusatte, S. L., Butler, R. J., Barrett, P. M., Carrion, M. T., Evans, D. C., Lloyd, G. T., Mannion, P. D., Norell, M. A., Peppe, D. J., Upchurch, P. and Williamson, T. E. (2015), The extinction of the dinosaurs. Biological Reviews 90: 628-642.
  • Cameron, G. G. (1968), Zoroaster the Herdsman. Indo-Iranian Journal 10(4): 261-281.
  • Clack, J. A. (2006), Devonian climate change, breathing, and the origin of the tetrapod stem group. Integrative and Comparative Biology 47(4): 510-523.
  • Cohen, K. M., Finney, S. C., Gibbard, P. L. and Fan, J.-X. (2013; updated). The ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart. Episodes 36: 199-204.
  • Downs, J. P., Daeschler, E. B., Jenkins, F. A. and Shubin, N. H. (2008), The cranial endoskeleton of Tiktaalik roseae. Nature 455: 925-929.
  • Ellery, A. (2003), Book Review: Impossible Extinction- Natural catastrophes and the supremacy of the microbial world. International Journal of Astrobiology 2(2): 153-154.
  • Galway-Whitham, J. and Stringer, G. (2018), How did Homo sapiens evolve? Science 360(6395): 1296-1298.
  • Hazen, R. M. (2010), How Old is Earth, and How Do We Know? Evolution: Education and Outreach 3: 198-205.
  • Hess, F. L. (1925), The Age of the Earth. The Scientific Monthly 20(6): 597-602.
  • Kemp, B. and Zink, A. (2012), Life in Ancient Egypt: Akhenaten, the Amarna Period and Tutankhamun. RCC Perspectives No. 3- Sickness, Hunger, War and Religion: Multidisciplinary Perspectives: 9-24.
  • Kvĕt, R. (1991), Complete Periodical Geological Time Table. GeoJournal 24(4): 417-420.
  • Kvĕt, R. (1995), On the Dependence of Life Evolution on Geotectonic Stages. GeoJournal 37(4): 413-417.
  • Lemberg, J. B., Daeschler, E. B. and Shubin, N. H. (2021), The feeding system of Tiktaalik roseae: an intermediate between suction feeding and biting. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 118(7): e2016421118.
  • MacIver, M. A., Schmitz, L., Mutan U., Murphey, T. D. and Mobley, C. D. (2020), Massive increase in visual range preceded the origin of terrestrial vertebrates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: E2375-E2384.
  • Meiri, S. (2022), Population sizes of T. rex cannot be precisely estimated. Frontiers of Biogeography 14(2): e53781.
  • Roney, J. C. (2017), 1776, Viewed from the West. Journal of the Early Republic 37(4): 655-700.
  • Sereno, P. C. (1997), The Origin and Evolution of Dinosaurs. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 25: 435-489.
  • Vandepoele, K., De Vos, W., Taylor, J. S., Meyer, A. and Van de Peer, Y. (2004), Major events in the genome evolution of vertebrates: Paranome age and size differ considerably between ray-finned fishes and land vertebrates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 101(6): 1638-1643.
  • Vittinghof, F. (1985), Reviewed Work(s): The Roman Empire 27 B. C. - A. D. 476. A Study in Survival by Chester G. Starr. Gnomon 57 Bd., H. 6: 572-574.
  • Zhuralev, A. Y. and Wood, R. A. (2018), The two phases of the Cambrian Explosion. Scientific Reports 8: 16656.
  • Życiński, J. (2006), Ethics in medical technologies: The Roman Catholic viewpoint. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 13: 518-523.
Jan 21, 202405:16
70- The Microbiome and Microbiota

70- The Microbiome and Microbiota

Most people will have come across this term before, but what does it actually mean? Today, we'll be dissecting the terms microbiome and microbiota and looking at what can impact them.


Sources for this episode:


  • Amon, P. and Sanderson, I. (2017), What is the microbiome? Archives of Disease in Childhood- Education and Practice 102-258-261.
  • Cremon, C., Barbaro, M. R., Ventura, M. and Barbara, G. (2018), Pre- and probiotic overview. Current Opinion in Pharmacology 43: 87-92.
  • Kim, H., Sitarik, A. R., Woodcroft, K., Johnson, C. C. and Woratti, E. (2019), Birth Mode, Breastfeeding, Pet Exposure and Antibiotic Use: Associations With the Gut Microbiome and Sensitization in Children. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports 19: 22.
  • Mariat, D., Firmesse, O., Levenez, F., Guimarăes, V. D., Sokol, H., Doré, J., Corthier, G. and Furet, J.-P. (2009), The Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio of the human microbiota changes with age. BMC Microbiology 9:123.
  • Rautava, S. (2016), Early microbial contact, the breast milk microbiome and child health. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 7(1): 5-14.
  • Rees, T., Bosch, T. and Douglas, A. E. (2018), How the microbiome challenges our concept of self. PLoS Biology 16(2): e2005358.
  • Sender, R., Fuchs, S. and Milo, R. (2016), Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body. PLoS Biology 14(8): e1002533.
  • Tojo, R., Suárez, A., Clemente, M. G., de los Reyes-Gavilán, C. G., Margolles, A., Gueimonde, M. and Ruas-Madiedo, P. (2014), Intestinal microbiota in health and disease: Role of bifidobacteria in gut homeostasis. World Journal of Gastroenterology 20(41): 15163-15176.
  • Vongsa, R., Hoffman, D., Shepard, K. and Koenig, D. (2019), Comparative study of vulva and abdominal skin microbiota of healthy females with high and average BMI. BMC Microbiology 19:16.
  • Author unknown, NHS (date unknown), Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (online) (Accessed 16/11/2023).



Dec 24, 202311:46
Island Folk 3- Saint Helena and Anthropogenic Impact

Island Folk 3- Saint Helena and Anthropogenic Impact

Saint Helena is an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps most famous as the final residence of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1814 and again briefly in 1815. However, there is also plenty of interesting ecology and anthropogenic impact to talk about. Join myself and my co-host on an old episode of Island Folk to find out more!


The episode can be found at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1yP66nlH0ReAaZUWETXEHp?si=e894e255600c4bc0


Hope you enjoy!

Nov 05, 202302:36
69- Punctuated Equilibrium, Phyletic Gradualism and Creationist Philosophy

69- Punctuated Equilibrium, Phyletic Gradualism and Creationist Philosophy

This episode discusses what it says on the tin- two different models of the pace at which evolution happens. Punctuated equilibrium comes to us courtesy of Niles Eldredge and Steve Gould in the 1970s. We won't do a deep dive on which model is considered correct in this episode. However, punctuated equilibrium was appropriated by creationists in the 1980s as this issue became political- leading us to a convenient tangent on what exactly creationist philosophy is.


Sources TBA.

Nov 04, 202308:60
68- Mammoths and the Pyramids

68- Mammoths and the Pyramids

Woolly mammoths are an iconic feature of the Ice Age in popular imagination. However, on today's episode, we will also see that they are the basis of a fun fact that may change your perception of the past...


Sources for this episode:

  • Ashman, D., Nature (2000), The sky was the limit for the Pyramid builders (online) [Accessed 10/10/2023].
  • Bartlett, C. (2014), The Design of the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Nexus Network Journal 16: 299-311.
  • Clayton, P. A. and Price, M. J. (eds.) (2002), The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. London and New York: Routledge.
  • The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), Pyramid (online) [Accessed 10/10/2023].
  • Fernie, J. D. (2004), Marginalia: Astronomy and the Great Pyramid. American Scientist 92(5): 406-409.
  • Foster, K. P. (2014), The Hanging Gardens of Nineveh. IRAQ 66: 207-220.
  • Haynes, G. (2002), The catastrophic extinction of North American mammoths and mastodons. World Archaeology 33(3): 391-416.
  • Hofreiter, M. and Lister, A. (2006), Mammoths. Current Biology 16(10): R347-R348.
  • Miller, J. H. and Simpson, C. (2022), When did mammoths go extinct? Nature 612: E1-E3.
  • Spence, K. (2000), Ancient Egyptian chronology and the astronomical orientation of the pyramids. Nature 408: 320-324.
  • Vartanyan, S., Arslanov, K., Karhu, J., Possnert, G., & Sulerzhitsky, L. (2008), Collection of radiocarbon dates on the mammoths (Mammuthus Primigenius) and other genera of Wrangel Island, northeast Siberia, Russia. Quaternary Research, 70(1), 51-59.
  • Wee, Y. K., World Atlas (2019), Did Cleopatra Really Live Closer In Time To The First Lunar Landing Than The Great Pyramids? (online) [Accessed 10/10/2023].
  • Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Radiocarbon dating (online) [Accessed 10/10/2023].
Oct 22, 202305:55
67- Mythological Hybrids and Chromosome Count

67- Mythological Hybrids and Chromosome Count

A throwaway comment on Big Bang Theory got me thinking- could hybrid animals such as the griffin and the hippogriff be possible from a biological viewpoint? Using these two examples, we will explore the chromosome number of hybrid animals and see what it means for our mythical friends...

Sources for this episode:

  • Ewart, J. C. (1910), Are Mules Fertile? Nature 2143(85): 106.
  • Geldenhuys, M. E. (1989), Die kariotipering van di lieu (Panthera leo). Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 60(1): 41-49.
  • Johnson, F. (1976), Mythical Beasts Coloring Book. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
  • Mead, D., Ogden, R., Meredith, A., Peniche, G., Smith, M., Corton, C., Oliver, K., Skelton, J., Betteridge, E., Doulcan; J., Holmes, N., Wright, V., Loose, M., Quail, M. A., McCarthy, S. A., Howe, K.,Chow, W., Torrance, J., Collins, J., Challis, R., Durbin, R. and Blatter, M. (2021), The genome sequence of the European golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos chrysaetos Linnaeus 1758 (version 1; peer review: 3 approved). Wellcome Open Research 6: 112.
  • Rodriguez, M., Understanding Genetics, The Tech Interactive (2007), Chimeras, Mosaics, and Other Fun Stuff: Why can't mules breed? I understand that a horse and a donkey make a mule but why can't 2 mules have a baby mule? (online) (Accessed 29/07/2023).
  • Rosen, B. (2009), Mythical Creatures Bible: The Definitive Guide to Legendary Beings. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
  • Ryder, O. A. (1993), Przewalski`s Horse: Prospects for Reintroduction into the Wild. Conservation Biology 7(1): 13-15.
  • Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Golden eagle (online) (Accessed 20/07/2023).
Oct 08, 202304:07
Introducing- Autocrat

Introducing- Autocrat

Introducing my newest venture- being one half of the Autocrat podcast! Autocrat is a podcast which aims to explore Roman civilisation from beginning to end. Beginning with the mythology and the stories of Aeneas and Romulus, the podcast will trace the journey through the Roman Kingdom, the Republic, the Empire and all the way to 1453 and beyond. Who knows if we'll make it that far, but we hope to have fun with it!


The podcast can be found at https://open.spotify.com/show/30Muilr1O66yA4UDcj76SW?si=891136d533c446a5 or on YouTube at youtube.com/@autocratpodcast. If the show sounds fun, feel free to come and join us!

Oct 06, 202308:54
66- The KT Extinction

66- The KT Extinction

It's episode 66, so I thought I'd cover a big event from 66 million years ago- the death of the dinosaurs! But it's not all doom and gloom- we will also take a look at how to prevent asteroid impacts in future.


Sources for this episode:

  • Bottke, W. F., Vokrouhlický, D. and Nesvorný, D. (2007), An asteroid breakup 160 Mya as the probable sources of the K/T impactor. Nature 449: 48-53.
  • Brusatte, S. (2018), The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: The Untold Story of a Lost World. London: Picador.
  • Chapman, C. R. (2004), The hazard of near-Earth asteroid impacts on earth. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 222: 1-15.
  • Chapman, C. R. and Morrison, D. (1994), Impacts on the Earth by asteroids and comets: assessing the hazard. Nature 367: 33-40.
  • Cohen, K. M., Finney, S. C., Gibbard, P. L. and Fan, J.-X. (2013, updated), The ICS International Chronostratigraphy Chart. Episodes 36: 199-204.
  • Dodson, P. (1990), Counting dinosaurs: how many kinds were there? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 87(19): 7608- 7612.
  • The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), sublimation (online) [Accessed 29/07/2023].
  • Ostrom, J. H. and Padian, K., Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), dinosaur (online) [Accessed 14/07/2023].
  • Pope, K. O., Baines, K. H., Ocampo, A. C. and Ivanov, B. A. (1994), Impact winter and the Cretaceous/Tertiary extinctions: Results of a Chicxulub asteroid impact model. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 128: 719- 725.
  • Schulte, P., Alegret, L., Arenillas, I., Arz, J. A., Barton, P. J., Brown, P. R., Barlower, T. J., Christeson, G. L., Claeys, P., Cockell, C. S., Collins, G. S., Deutsch, A., Goldin, T. J., Goto, K., Grajales Nishmura, J. M., Grieve, R. A. F., Gulick. S. P. S., Johnson, K. R., Kiessling, W., Koeberl, C., Kring, D. A., MacLeod, K. G., Matsui, T., Melosh, J., Montanari, A., Morgan, J. V., Neal, C. R., Nichols, D. J., Norrison, R. D., Pierazzo, E., Ravizza, G., Rebolledo-Vieyra, M., Reimold, W. U., Robin, E., Salge, T., Speijer, R. P., Sweet, A. R., Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J., Vajida, V., Whalen, M. T. and Willumsen, P. S. (2010), The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Palaeogene Boundary. Science 327(5970): 1214- 1218.
  • Starrfelt, J. and Liow, L. H. (2016), How many dinosaur species were there? Fossil bias and true richness estimated using a Poisson sampling model. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 371(1691): 20150219.
  • Yousuf, I., Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), Empire State Building (online) [Accessed 27/07/2023].
Sep 17, 202310:26
65- The Fermi Paradox and the Great Filter

65- The Fermi Paradox and the Great Filter

Enrico Fermi is the man behind today’s episode, as we’re going to talk all about the Fermi paradox. In essence, why do we not see anyone else out there in the universe besides ourselves? Well, a number of solutions have been proposed- and they have to do with the second concept in today’s episode: the Great Filter.
Sources for this episode: 1) Bailey, M. M. (2023), Could AI be the Great Filter? What Astrobiology can Teach the Intelligence Community about Anthropogenic Risks. arXiv preprint arXiv:2305.05653. 2) Borger, J., the Guardian (2022), Cuban missile crisis 60 years on: new papers reveal how close the world came to nuclear disaster (online) [Accessed 08/07/2023]. 3) Buser, R. (2000), The Formation and Early Evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy. Science 287(5450): 69-74. 4) The Editors of Scientific American (2015), Exoplanets: Worlds Without End. New York: Scientific American. 5) Laughlin, R. B. and Pines, D. (2000) The Theory of Everything. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 97(1): 28-31. 6) Raschky, P. A. and Wang, L. C. (2017), Reproductive behaviour at the end of the world: the effect of the Cuban Missile Crisis on U.S. fertility. Applied Economics 49(56): 5722- 5727. 7) Re, F. (2022), Can the Theory of Everything be the Great Filter? 8) Stern, S. M. (2005), The Week the World Stood Still: Inside the Secret Cuban Missile Crisis. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. 9) Author unknown, NASA (date unknown), Hubble’s New Shot of Proxima Centauri, our Nearest Neighbour (online) [Accessed 09/07/2023]. 10) Author unknown, NASA Exoplanet Exploration (date unknown), Largest Batch of Earth-size Habitable Zone Planets Found Orbiting TRAPPIST-1 (online) [Accessed 09/07/2023]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Parsec (online) [Accessed 08/07/2023]. 12) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Tau Ceti (online) [Accessed 09/07/2023].
Aug 20, 202306:43
Announcement- YouTube Community

Announcement- YouTube Community

Hello everyone, just a quick note that the YouTube comments are active on all videos and in the community tab. Feel free to drop me a line there as an alternative to the show's email address and stay tuned for extra features such as polls in future!

Aug 13, 202301:12
64- New Global Heat Records

64- New Global Heat Records

In July 2023, the world experienced three consecutive days which were the hottest day on record. In fact, an interview with the Washington Post cited that it was the hottest day for 125,000 years. What does that mean? Well, today's episode will put that number into prehistorical and historical context, as well as compare our current global warming to an example of change from the Cretaceous.

1) Blum, M. G. B., and Jakobsson, M. (2010), Deep Divergence of Human Gene Trees and Models of Human Origins. Molecular Biology and Evolution 28(2): 889- 898. 2) Cavalheiro, L., Wagner, T., Steinig, S., Bottini, C., Dummann, W., Esegbue, O., Gambacorta, G., Giraldo-Gómez, V., Farnsworth, A., Flögel, S., Hofmann, P., Lunt, D. J., Rethemeyer, J., Torricelli, S. and Erba, E. (2021), Impact of global cooling on Early Cretaceous high pCO2 world during the Weissert event. Nature Communications 12: 5411. 3) Dee, M., Wengrow, D., Shortland, A., Stevenson, A., Brock, F., Flink, L. G. and Ramsey, C. B. (2013), An absolute chronology for early Egypt using radiocarbon dating and Bayesian statistical modelling. Proceedings of the Royal Society A 469: 20130395. 4) Gómez-Robles, A. (2019), Dental evolutionary rates and its implications for the Neanderthal–modern human divergence. Science Advances 5(5): eaaw1268. 5) Haber, M., Jones, A. L., Connell, B. A., Asan, E. A., Yang, H., Thomas, M. G., Xue Y. and Tyler-Smith, C. (2019), A Rare Deep-Rooting D0 African Y-Chromosomal Haplogroup and Its Implications for the Expansion of Modern Humans Out of Africa. Genetics 212(4): 1421-1428. 6) Hublin, J.-J. (2017), The last Neanderthal. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 114(40): 10520- 10522. 7) Jones, D. (2007), The Neanderthal within. New Scientist 193(2593): 28-32. 8) Osborne, M., Smithsonian Magazine (2023), Earth Faces Hottest Day Ever Recorded- Three Days In A Row (online) [Accessed 07/07/2023]. 9) Pettitt, P. B. (1999) Disappearing from the World: An Archaeological Perspective on Neanderthal Extinction. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 18: 217-240. 10) Plant, V., Exeposé (2019), Things are Heating Up (online) [Accessed 07/07/2023]. 11) Sands, L., Washington Post (2023), This July 4 was hot. Earth’s hottest day on record, in fact (online) [Accessed 07/07/2023]. 12) Stringer, C. (2012), The Status of Homo heidelbergensis (Shoetenstack 1908). Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News and Reviews 21(3): 87- 125. 13) Su, D., The Conversation (2022), How many ice ages has the Earth had, and could humans live through one? (online) [Accessed 07/07/2023]. 14) Zhang, S., truthout (2023), July 3 Was the Hottest Day on Record. Then July 4 Came Along. (online) [Accessed 07/07/2023]. 15) Author unknown, CNN (2023), Global temperatures break heat record (online) [Accessed 07/07/2023]. 16) Author unknown, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (date unknown), Homo neanderthalensis (online) [Accessed 07/07/2023]. 17) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Mesozoic (online) [Accessed 09/07/2023]. 18) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Palaeogene (online) [Accessed 09/07/2023].

Aug 05, 202306:03
63- Hypothetical Galactic Population Size

63- Hypothetical Galactic Population Size

On today's episode, we're going to range out into the cosmos for our inaugural episode in the world of astrobiology! We're going to ask the question: how many people could our galaxy support? Using some assumptions and approximations, we're going to see that the number dwarfs our current numbers here on Earth by quite some margin...


1) Asimov, I. (1952, 2016 edition), Foundation and Empire. London: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. 2) Briggs, J. C. (2017), Emergence of a sixth mass extinction? Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 122: 243- 248. 3) Chamie, J. (2022), Population Levels, Trends and Differentials: More Important Population Matters. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland AG. 4) Chu, J., MIT News (2023), Astronomers snap first ever image of supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (online) [Accessed 02/07/2023]. 5) Cowie, R. H., Bouchet, P. and Fontaine, B. (2022): The Sixth Mass Extinction: fact, fiction or speculation? Biological Reviews 97: 640- 663. 6) de Almeida, G. (2004), The Milky Way. Chapter in: Navigating the Night Sky. Patrick Moore’s Practical Astronomy Series. London: Springer. 7) The Editors of Scientific American (2015), Exoplanets: Worlds Without End. New York: Scientific American. 8) Hodge, P. W. (1981), The Andromeda Galaxy. Scientific American 244(1): 92-101. 9) Hodge, P. W., Encyclopedia Britannica (2017), Magellanic Cloud (online) [Accessed 02/07/2023]. 10) Hodge, P. W., Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), Milky Way Galaxy (online) [Accessed 02/07/2023]. 11) Kurzgesagt- In a Nutshell, YouTube (2022), The Last Human- A Glimpse Into The Far Future (online) [Accessed 02/07/2023]. 12) Ramakrishna, S. (2021), Circular economy and sustainability pathways to build a new-modern society. Drying Technology 39(6): 711-712. 13) Ritchie, H., Our World in Data (2023), The UN has made population projections for more than 50 years- how accurate have they been? (online) [Accessed 02/07/2023]. 14) Sender, R., Fuchs, S. and Milo, R. (2016), Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body. PLOS Biology 14(8): e1002533. 15) Stellato, J. (2020), The Milky Way and Lentil Beans. Science Scope 43(6): 44- 49. 16) Stevenson, D. (2015), Milkomeda and the Fate of the Milky Way. Chapter in: The Complex Lives of Star Clusters. Astronomers’ Universe. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 17) University of Göttingen, Phys.org (2021), Breaking the warp barrier for faster-than-light travel (online) [Accessed 02/07/2023]. 18) van den Heuvel, E. (2016), How Distant Are the Stars? Chapter in: The Amazing Unity of the Universe. Astronomers’ Universe. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 19) Author unknown, NASA Exoplanet Exploration: Planets Beyond Our Solar System (date unknown, updated July 2023), Discovery (online) [Accessed 02/07/2023]. 20) Author unknown, United Nations (2022), Day of Eight Billion, 15 November 2022 (online) [Accessed 02/07/2023]. 21) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Names of large numbers (online) [Accessed 02/07/2023].

Jul 16, 202307:37
62- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

62- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Climate change is a big topic, and one we're not going to cover here. However, there are international efforts to try and do something about it. Today's topic is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC to its friends), which was first set up in the nineties. What exactly did it lead to? Well, that's what we're here for...


Sources for this episode: 1) Bowman, W. D., Hacker, S. D. and Cain, M. L. (2017). Ecology (4th International Edition).Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2) Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J. B. (2018), Biology: a global approach, 11th edition (Global Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited. 3) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2023), Industrial Revolution (online) [Accessed 04/06/2023]. 4) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2023), Kyoto Protocol (online) [Accessed 12/06/2023]. 5) Hughes, T. P., Kerry, J. T., Álvarez-Noriega, M., Álvarez-Romero, J. G., Anderson, K. D., Baird, A. H., Babcock, R. C., Beger, M., Bellwood, D. R., Berkelmans, R., Bridge, T. C., Butler, I. R., Byrne, M., Cantin, N. E., Comeau, S., Connolly, S. R., Cumming, G. S., Dalton, S. J., Diaz-Pulido, G., Eakin, C. M., Figueira, W. F., Gilmour, J. P., Harrison, H. B., Heron. S. F., Hoey, A. S., Hobbs, J.-P. A., Hoogenboom, M. O., Kennedy, E. V., Kuo, C.-Y., Lough, J. M., Lowe, R. J., Liu, G., McCulloch, M. T., Malcolm, H. A., McWilliam, M. J., Pandolfi, J. M., Pears, R. J., Pratchett, M. S., Schoepf, V., Simpson, T., Skirving, W. J., Sommer, B., Torda, G., Wachenfeld, D. R., Willis, B. L. and Wilson, S. K.(2017), Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals. Nature, 543(7645): 373–377. 6) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2019), Global Warming of 1.5°C. 7) Kinley, R., Cutajar M. Z., de Boer, Y. and Figueres, C. (2021), Beyond good intentions, to urgent action: Former UNFCCC leaders take stock of thirty years of international climate change negotiations. Climate Policy, 21(5): 593-603. 8) O’Neill, B. C. and Oppenheimer, M. (2002), Dangerous Climate Impacts and the Kyoto Protocol. Science 296(5575): 1971-1972. 9) United Nations. (1992), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change United Nations. 10) Author unknown, Climate Action Tracker (2021), Warming Projections Global Update- November 2021. 11) Author unknown, UC San Diego (date unknown), The Keeling Curve (online) [Accessed 12/06/2023].  12) Author unknown, United Nations Climate Change (date unknown), Conference of the Parties (COP) (online) [Accessed 04/06/2023]. 13) Author unknown, United Nations Climate Change (date unknown), The Paris Agreement (online) [Accessed 12/06/2023]. 14) Author unknown, United Nations Climate Change (date unknown), What is the Kyoto Protocol? (online) [Accessed 12/06/2023]. 15) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), List of parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (online) [Accessed 04/06/2023].

Jun 18, 202307:20
Update- Podcast schedule

Update- Podcast schedule

Hello everyone, Vince here with a quick update on how the podcast schedule is probably going to work from now on. I'm likely as not going to try out a monthly schedule- meaning that a new After Alexander will show up on the first Saturday of every month and a Biopedia on the third Sunday- although that may vary depending if I have more or less time for it in a given month. Who knows, there may well be more than one episode a month if I'm lucky!

There may also be some extra content in the 'Community' tab of the podcasts' YouTube pages as well. I'm trying this new schedule in order to walk the line between not releasing any content at all and burning out due to trying to juggle everything at once. I'm also releasing this update on After Alexander's feed.

Jun 06, 202301:32
Darwin Day 2023- Historical Context to Charles Darwin

Darwin Day 2023- Historical Context to Charles Darwin

It's that time of year again! This time round, I thought I'd put Charles Darwin's life into a little bit of historical context. This is because I imagine most people have a stereotypical image of him in their heads as a model Victorian gentleman. However, his life saw quite a few other historical events that wouldn't really spring to mind. For instance, would it have occurred to you that Darwin witnessed the closing years of the Napoleonic Wars? So, in honour of Darwin's birthday, let's explore a few of the events in his life it might not occur to you he witnessed... Sources for this episode: 1) Chisholm, E., Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911, Vol. II), Peninsular War (eBook) [Accessed 10/02/2023]. 2) Cronin, V. (1971), Napoleon. London: Harper Collins Publishers LLC. 3) Cussans, T. (2017), The Times Kings & Queens of the British Isles: A History of Monarchy. Marlborough: Times Books Ltd. 4) Current, R. N., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2023), Abraham Lincoln (online) [Accessed 05/02/2023]. 5) Darwin, C. R. (1945), The Voyage of the Beagle. The Temple Press Letchworth: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. 6) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2008), Confederation of the Rhine (online) [Accessed 10/02/2023]. 7) Hoyer, K. (2021), Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire 1871-1918 (eBook). Cheltenham: The History Press [Accessed 10/02/2023]. 8) Littlewood, I. (2002), The Rough Guide: History of France. London: Rough Guides Ltd. 9) Roberts, A. (2014), Napoleon the Great (eBook) [Accessed 10/02/2023]. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Cape Verde (online) [Accessed 11/02/2023]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Charles Darwin [Accessed 10/02/2023]. 12) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Santiago, Cape Verde (online) [Accessed 11/02/2023]. 13) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), 2005 (online) [Accessed 10/02/2023].
Feb 12, 202305:24
61- Monophyly, Paraphyly and Polyphyly

61- Monophyly, Paraphyly and Polyphyly

This episode is going to be a return to genetics with an introduction to some phylogenetic terms. Groups can be monophyletic, paraphyletic or polyphyletic depending on who exactly is included. Confused? Well, that's what Biopedia is here to solve...

Sources for this episode: 1) Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J. B. (2018), Biology: a global approach, 11th edition (Global Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited. 2) Herron, J. C., and Freeman, S. (2015), Evolutionary Analysis. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. 3) Hine, R. (2019), A Dictionary of Biology (Oxford Quick Reference), 8th edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Polyphyly (online) [Accessed 16/01/2023].

Feb 05, 202304:03
Island Folk 2- Britain and the Island Fortress

Island Folk 2- Britain and the Island Fortress

Another day, another episode of Island Folk! Sean Dettman and I discussed the concept of the island fortress as it was perceived in WW2 Britain. Basically, this is the idea that the inhabitants of the UK took comfort in the island nature of their country and the sea protecting them against hostile forces. Sean's upcoming publication on this subject was the focus of the episode's discussion. Along the way, we discuss connections to contemporary events, the paradigm of Britain's lack of invasions since 1066, and draw it all back to how important the way perceptions of unique culture and biology on islands are built up is...

The episode can be found at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1fODK3wb2qd7yQZWrLzvIS?si=d44bbb9396034d42. Enjoy!

Jan 01, 202302:24
60- Porphyria

60- Porphyria

In today's episode, we revisit an old blog post from all the way back in January 2021. George III of the United Kingdom is probably the person most famously associated with porphyria. However, what isn't as often discussed is what exactly it is. Moreover, as we will introduce in today's episode, it isn't just George Hanover who was affected with the condition; his wider family seems to have suffered from it too. We don't touch on this that much in the episode, but it in fact seems to stretch back to Peter I of Bourbon in the 14th century...

Sources for this episode: 1) Cussans, T. (2017), The Times Kings & Queens of the British Isles: A History of Monarchy. Marlborough: Times Books Ltd. 2) Dean, G. and Barnes, H. D. (1955), The Inheritance of Porphyria. British Medical Journal 2(4931): 89-94. 3) Hurst, L. C. (1982), Porphyria revisited. Medical History 26(2): 179-182. 4) Macalpine, I., Hunter, R. and Rimington, C. (1968), Porphyria in the Royal Houses of Stuart, Hanover and Prussia: A Follow-up Study of George III's Illness. British Medical Journal 1: 7-18. 5) Roy, R., New Scientist (2011), Dracula's disease (online) [Accessed 11/12/2022]. 6) Author unknown, British Liver Trust (date unknown), Porphyria (online) [Accessed 11/12/2022]. 7) Author unknown, Genetics Home Reference (2016), porphyria (online) [Accessed 11/12/2022 via Internet Archive]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Peter I, Duke of Bourbon (online) [Accessed 11/12/2022].


NOTE: Original access dates for webpages weren't listed on my blog post, so dates are for pre-podcast access.

Dec 25, 202204:27
Island Folk 1- Rapa Nui
Nov 20, 202203:00
Announcement- Island Folk

Announcement- Island Folk

Hello everyone, quick announcement- I've been offered the chance to host a radio programme! Island Folk- the show where we talk about islands and play folk music- forms part of Hautlieu Radio. My background means I'll mostly be discussing island biology, but other aspects such as island history or culture also fall within the show's remit. It usually goes live on Thursdays (3-4 pm) before being uploaded to SoundCloud. It's a very different project to any audio experience I've had before, but I'm looking forward to it! The link to Hautlieu Radio's SoundCloud link is https://soundcloud.com/hautlieu-school, and it can be found on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/6zhcEz3lcZgiNs1uYSlasm?si=9cba6ae13460439c. If it sounds like something you might be interested in, feel free to check it out!

Nov 16, 202202:16
59- James E. Lovelock

59- James E. Lovelock

James Ephraim Lovelock, best known for the Gaia hypothesis, died on the 26th of July 2022, on his 103rd birthday. In his honour, this episode is going to detail some of his achievements. During our discussion, we're going to examine his contribution to Martian life detection in the form of a paper published in 1965, as well as outline what the Gaia hypothesis actually refers to...

Sources for this episode: 1) Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J. B. (2018), Biology: a global approach, 11th edition (Global Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited. 2) Hine, R. (2019), A Dictionary of Biology (Oxford Quick Reference), 8th edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 3) Lovelock, J. E. (1965), A Physical Basis for Life Detection Experiments. Nature 207(4997): 568-570. 4) Lovelock, J. E. (first published 1979, reprinted 2000), Gaia: A new look at life on Earth (eBook) 5) Lovelock, J. E., James Lovelock (date unknown), Home (online) [Accessed c. 30/07/2022 and 08/11/2022]. 6) Rafferty, J. P., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2022), James Lovelock (online) [Accessed 30/07/2022]. 7) Tao, A., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2022), Lynn Margulis (online) [Accessed 30/07/2022]. 8) Web of Stories- Life Stories of Remarkable People, YouTube (2017), James Lovelock- Detecting life on Mars (10/17) (online) [Accessed 30/07/2022]. 9) Wright, P. and Radford, T., The Guardian (2022), James Lovelock obituary (online) [Accessed 30/07/2022]. 10) Author unknown, BBC (2022), James Lovelock: Influential green thinker dies aged 103 (online) [Accessed 30/07/2022]. 11) Author unknown, NASA (date unknown), SETI: The Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (online) [Accessed 04/11/2022].

Nov 13, 202210:46
58- Islamic Golden Age Evolutionary Theory

58- Islamic Golden Age Evolutionary Theory

The traditional narrative of the history of biology as a field focusses on the West. As such, other regions of the world are underdiscussed- which is important when discussing how to decolonise our curriculum and therefore what needs to be included and reflected. In this episode, we're going to step back in time to the Islamic Golden Age and discuss evolutionary theory- centuries before Charles Darwin was even born.

Sources for this episode: 1) Fuentes, A. (2021), "The Descent of Man", 150 years on. Science 372(6544): 769. 2) Haensch, S., Bianucci, R., Signoli, M., Rajerison, M., Schultz, M., Kacki, S., Vermunt, M., Weston, D. A., Hurst, D., Achtman, M., Carniel, E. and Bramanti, B. (2010), Distinct Clones of Yersinia pestis Caused the Black Death. PLOS Pathogens 6(10): e1001134. 3) Issawi, C., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2022), Ibn Khaldūn (online) [Accessed 19/07/2022]. 4) Malik, A. H., Ziermann, J. M. and Diogo, R. (2018), An untold story in biology: the historical continuity of evolutionary ideas of Muslim scholars from the 8th century to Darwin’s time. Journal of Biological Education 52(1): 3-17. 5) Singer, C. (1950), A history of biology: a general introduction to the study of living things, 2nd edition, London: Lewis. 6) Author unknown, Keele University (2018), Keele Manifesto for decolonising the curriculum (online) [Accessed 16/06/2022]. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Islamic Golden Age (online) [Accessed c.20/03/2022 and 23/06/2022]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Muqaddimah (online) [Accessed 19/07/2022].

Jul 24, 202207:36
57- Benedict's Test

57- Benedict's Test

Today's topic is a return to the world of biochemistry with a discussion of Benedict's test- used to test for reducing sugars and, with some modifications, non-reducing sugars. We won't be discussing the precise methodology- and the subtle differences in methods/reagents between the sources I accessed- but we'll discuss what exactly a reducing sugar is and introduce the topic of food tests along the way.

Sources for this episode: 1) Fullick A., Locke, J. and Bircher, P. (2015), A Level Biology for OCR A. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2) Hine, R. (2019), A Dictionary of Biology (Oxford Quick Reference), 8th edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 3) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Benedict's reagent (online) [Accessed 12/03 and 02/04/2022]. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Stanley Rossiter Benedict (online) [Accessed 12/03/2022].


Apr 10, 202203:31
Darwin Day 2022- HMS Beagle

Darwin Day 2022- HMS Beagle

As of February 12th 2022, it's been 113 years since Charles Robert Darwin was born. As such, we're back with another Darwin Day episode! This time around, we turn our attention to His Majesty's Ship Beagle, which Darwin would famously sail on. However, most people probably don't know a lot about the ship besides this fact. So, let's explore the Beagle's past and its possible connection to the present... Sources for this episode: 1) Burchett, M. (1996), Oceanography and Marine Biology: Water Movements and Oceanic Circulation Patterns. In: Waller, G. (ed.), Dando, M. and Burchett, M. (principal contributors) (1996), SeaLife: A Complete Guide to the Marine Environment. Pica Press: Smithsonian Institution Press. 2) Darwin, C. R. (1945), The Voyage of the Beagle. The Temple Press Letchworth: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. 3) Dubowsky, N., and Dubowsky, S. M. (1994), The final mission of HMS Beagle: clarifying the historical record. BJHS 27: 105-111. 4) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2014), Arafura Sea (online) [Accessed 09/02/2022]. 5) Goodin, M. M., Zaitlin, D., Naidu, R. A. and Lommel, S. A. (2008), Nicotiana benthamiana: Its History and Future as a Model for Plant–Pathogen Interactions. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions 21(8): 1015-1026. 6) Thomson, K. S., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Beagle (online) [Accessed 03/02/2022]. 7) Author unknown, National Geographic (date unknown), HMS Beagle: Darwin's trip around the World (online) [Accessed 05/02/2022]. 8) Author unknown, Royal Museums Greenwich (date unknown), HMS Beagle: Discover more about the ship that took Darwin around the world (online) [Accessed 03/02/2022]. 9) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Beagle Channel (online) [Accessed 07/02/2022]. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Beagle Gulf (online) [Accessed 09/02/2022]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), HMS Beagle (online) [Accessed 03/02/2022]. 12) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Robert FitzRoy (online) [Accessed 07/02/2022]. Darwin Day: Author unknown, Galapagos Conservation Trust (2015), Darwin Day Comic Strip (online) [Accessed 06/02/2022].
Feb 12, 202217:13
56- Three Types of Selection

56- Three Types of Selection

Natural selection is not just one phenomenon, but can be spliced into different types depending on what its action results in. Today's episode will examine disruptive selection, stabilising selection and directional selection; what they are, what their effects on populations are and some examples we see in the natural world.

Sources for this episode: 1) Allaby, M., (2020), A Dictionary of Zoology (Oxford Quick Reference), 5th edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 2) Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D. and Hacker, S. D. (2011), Ecology (Second Edition). Sunderland, Massachusetts, Sinauer Associated Ltd 3) Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J. B. (2018), Biology: a global approach, 11th edition (Global Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited. 4) Hine, R. (2019), A Dictionary of Biology (Oxford Quick Reference), 8th edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 5) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd.

Dec 26, 202105:39
55- Hybridomas

55- Hybridomas

Cultured cells are useful, but have their limitations. For instance, B cells- white blood cells which produce antibodies- have a limited lifespan in vitro, meaning their use for making antibodies commercially is limited. The solution to this is the topic of today's episode: the hybridoma.

Sources for this episode: 1) Fullick, A. and Coates, A. (ed. Ryan, L.) (2016), GCSE AQA Biology (Third Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2) Madigan, M. T., Martinko, J. M., Dunlap, P. V. and Clark, D. P. (2009), Brock Biology of Microorganisms (12th Edition, International Edition), San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings Ltd. 3) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd.

Oct 24, 202104:40
54- Bonsai Trees

54- Bonsai Trees

Perhaps you've never thought much about bonsai trees. However, their existence does raise some biologically relevant questions. For instance, how is a bonsai tree created? Moreover, as we'll see in today's episode, they have also been considered as a tool in conservation...

Sources for this episode: 1) Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D. and Hacker, S. D. (2011), Ecology (Second Edition). Sunderland, Massachusetts, Sinauer Associated Ltd. 2) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2021), Bonsai (online) [Accessed 15/06/2021, 18/08/2021 and 19/08/2021]. 3) Joshi, A. R. and Joshi, K. (2009), Bonsai: A Technique for Conservation of Species, Bonsai and Conservation 1(1): 3-4. 4) Perrott, R., Synge, P. M. and Herklots, G. A. C., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020), Gardening (online) [Accessed 18/08/2021]. 5) Wyman, D. (1954), Japanese dwarfed trees. Arnoldia 14(1): 1-7. 6) Author unknown, RHS Gardening (date unknown), Bonsai (online) [Accessed 15/06/2021 and 18/08/2021].

Oct 17, 202105:45
53- Grolar Bears

53- Grolar Bears

We're going to explore a particular kind of hybridisation today- the kind that produces grolar bears. As the name might suggest, this refers to the offspring of a grizzly bear and a polar bear. Its existence- and that of cases like it- also allow us to put something called the biological species concept under scrutiny...

Sources for this episode: 1) Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D. and Hacker, S. D. (2011), Ecology (Second Edition). Sunderland, Massachusetts, Sinauer Associated Ltd. 2) Callaway, E., New Scientist (2010), Neanderthal genome reveals interbreeding with humans (online) [Accessed 03/08/2021]. 3) Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J. B. (2018), Biology: a global approach, 11th edition (Global Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited. 4) Cooke, F., Dingle, H., Hutchinson, S., McKay, G., Schodde, R., Tait, N. and Vogt, R. (2008), The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide (p.370). Sydney: Weldon Owen Pty Ltd. 5) Wei-Haas, M., National Geographic (2018), Ancient Girl's Parents Were Two Different Human Species (online) [Accessed 03/08/2021]. 6) Author unknown, BBC Newsround (2021), Have you ever heard of a 'pizzly' bear? (online) [Accessed 02/08/2021]. 7) Author unknown, Understanding Evolution (berkeley.edu), (date unknown), Misconceptions about evolution (online) [Accessed 03/08/2021].8) Author unknown, WWF (date unknown), Top 10 facts about polar bears (online) [Accessed 03/08/2021].

Oct 10, 202103:43
52- Great American Interchange

52- Great American Interchange

Back in episode 49, I mentioned the Great American Interchange, which took place three million years ago when North America and South America collided and were connected by the isthmus of Panama. However, I largely glossed over it as it was only of tangential relevance to the topic of the Wallace Line. So, today, let's correct that oversight and explore the Great American Interchange...

Sources for this episode: 1) Domingo, L., Tomassini, R. L., Montalvo, C. I., Sanz-Pérez, D. and Alberdi, M. T. (2020), The Great American Biotic Interchange revisited: a new perspective from the stable isotope record of Argentine Pampas fossil mammals, Scientific Reports 10(1): 1608. 2) Marshall, L. G., Webb, S. D., Sepkoski, J. J. and Raup, D. M. (1982), Mammalian Evolution and the Great American Interchange, Science 215(4538): 1351-1357. 3) Weir, J. T., Bermingham, E. and Schluter, D. (2009), The Great American Biotic Interchange in birds, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106(51): 21737-21742. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Great American Interchange (online) [Accessed 15/06/2021 and 13/08/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), δ13C (online) [Accessed 10/08/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), δ18O (online) [Accessed 10/08/2021].

Oct 03, 202112:15
51- RuBisCO, C4 and CAM

51- RuBisCO, C4 and CAM

Photosynthesis has proven a useful tool in life's arsenal, but it isn't perfect. This is because one of its enzymes- RuBisCo for short- is not equipped to deal with our oxygenated world and as such sometimes creates toxic by-products which the organism then has to expend energy to deal with. However, some plants have evolved strategies to deal with this issue. Instead of simply working with vanilla-flavoured C3 photosynthesis, they have switched to alternative strategies known as C4 or CAM photosynthesis...

Sources for this episode: 1) Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D. and Hacker, S. D. (2011), Ecology (Second Edition). Sunderland, Massachusetts, Sinauer Associated Ltd. 2) Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J. B. (2018), Biology: a global approach, 11th edition (Global Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited. 3) Hirst, K. K., ThoughtCo (Updated 13/11/2019), Adaptations to Climate Change in C3, C4 and CAM Plants (online) [Accessed 27/07/2021]. 4) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd.

Sep 26, 202110:16
50- Kin Selection and Hamilton's Rule

50- Kin Selection and Hamilton's Rule

Altruism- or actions by organisms which ultimately provide a benefit to other organisms- have been puzzling evolutionary scientists since Darwin's time. As such, attempts have been made to explain how this phenomenon comes about. One of these explanations is the subject of today's episode- kin selection and Hamilton's rule. Now, I am not going to go into the arguments and evidence for and against it, which is probably a topic for future episodes. For now, it's probably best to say that my previous studies on the topic have taught me that there is a tangible divide within biology on this topic...

Sources for this episode: 1) Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J. B. (2018), Biology: a global approach, 11th edition (Global Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited. 2) Dugatkin, L. A. (2007), Inclusive Fitness Theory from Darwin to Hamilton, Genetics 176(3): 1375- 1380. 3) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2018), Kin selection (online) [Accessed 18/06/2021]. 4) Herron, J. C. and Freeman, S. (2015), Evolutionary Analysis (Fifth Edition, Global Edition). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. 5) Oshaka, S., OUPblog (Oxford University Press, 2015), Kin selection, group selection and altruism: a controversy without end? (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. 6) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd.

Sep 19, 202106:45
49- The Wallace Line

49- The Wallace Line

If Alfred Russell Wallace (1823- 1913) is thought of at all, he is an after-thought to his far more famous counterpart Charles Darwin and the theory of natural selection. However, he has also had an impact in other fields. Today, we'll be exploring the Wallace Line and Wallace's contribution to zoogeography.

Sources for this episode: 1) Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D. and Hacker, S. D. (2011), Ecology (Second Edition). Sunderland, Massachusetts, Sinauer Associated Ltd. 2) Camerini, J. R., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2021), Alfred Russell Wallace (online) [Accessed 10/06/2021]. 3) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Wallace Line (online) [Accessed 10/06/2021]. 4) Marshall, M., New Scientist (2021), The other humans: The emerging story of the mysterious Denisovans (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021]. 5) Scoville, H., ThoughtCo (2020), What Is the Wallace Line? (online) [Accessed 10/06/2021]. 6) Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Phys (2016), Recent connection between North and South America reaffirmed (online) [Accessed 10/06/2021]. 7) Tang, C. M., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2018), Tethys Sea (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021]. 8) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd. 9) University of Adelaide, Phys (2013), Mysterious ancient human crossed Wallace's Line (online) [Accessed 10/06/2021]. 10) Author unknown, Understanding Evolution (Berkeley, date unknown), Biogeography: Wallace and Wegener (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Wallacea (online) [Accessed 11/06/2021].

Sep 12, 202105:52
48- The Creation of Chromosome 2

48- The Creation of Chromosome 2

It's a well-known fact that humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes- 46 chromosomes in total. However, chimpanzees have 48 chromosomes, as do the other 'great apes'. Why is this? Well, it centres around human chromosome 2.

Sources for this episode: 1) Fullick A., Locke, J. and Bircher, P. (2015), A Level Biology for OCR A. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2) IJdo, J.W., Baldini, A., Ward, D. C., Reeders S. T. and Wells, R. A. (1991) Origin of human chromosome 2: an ancestral telomere-telomere fusion, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 88(20): 9051-9055. 3) Willey, J. M., Sherwood, L. M. And Woolverton, C. J. (2017), Prescott’s Microbiology, 10th edition (International Edition). New York, McGraw-Hill Education. 4) Young, W. J., Merz, T., Ferguson-Smith, M. A. and Johnston, A. W. (1960), Chromosome Number of the Chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, Science 131(3414): 1672-1673. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Chimpanzee genome project (online) [Accessed 02/06/2021]. 6) Author unknown, WWF (date unknown) Great apes (online) [Accessed 06/06/2021].

Sep 05, 202109:03
47- Sibling Species

47- Sibling Species

Moving away from previous topics somewhat, we're going to dive back into ecological theory and discuss the concept of sibling species. What is a sibling species? Well, they're species which appear broadly very similar, but do have some differences when you get up close. As we'll see in today's episode, sibling species are essentially part of the process of speciation..

Sources for this episode: 1) Eisenmann, E., Amadon, D., Banks, R. C., Blake, E. R., Howell, T. R., Johnson, N. K., Lowery, G. H., Parkes, K. C. and Storer, R. W. (1973), Thirty-Second Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-List of North American Birds, Auk 90(2): 411-419. 2) Gittleman, J. L., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Species (online) [Accessed 29/05/2021]. 3) Nelson, D., OSU Bio Museum (2015), Examples of sibling species (online) [Accessed 02/06/2021]. 4) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Alder flycatcher (online) [Accessed 02/06/2021].

Aug 29, 202104:41
46- Ediacaran Biota

46- Ediacaran Biota

Today, we're going to be discussing the Ediacaran fauna. This is a faunal assemblage that came before the Cambrian Explosion (535-525 Mya) but is less well known. Unlike the Cambrian Explosion- which saw the creation of most of the phyla we know today- the Ediacaran biota is much less familiar. It also appears to be quite confusing in terms of what category its constituent organisms fall under...

Sources for this episode: 1) Campbell, N. A., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V. and Reece, J. B. (2018), Biology: a global approach, 11th edition (Global Edition), Harlow, Pearson Education Limited. 2) Ebling, F. J. G., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2017), Integument (online) [Accessed 29/05/2021]. 3) Flannery, T. F., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Cambrian explosion (online) [Accessed 27/05/2021]. 4) Grazhdankin, D. (2011), Ediacaran Biota. In: Reitner J. and Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. 5) Herron, J. C. and Freeman, S. (2015), Evolutionary Analysis (Fifth Edition, Global Edition). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. 6) Rafferty, J. P., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2018), Ediacaran Period (online) [Accessed 28/05/2021]. 7) Shen, B., Dong, L., Xiao, S. and Kowalewski, M. (2008), The Avalon Explosion: Evolution of Ediacara Morphospace, Science 319(5859): 81-84. 8) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd. 9) Virginia Tech, ScienceDaily (2008), Two Explosive Evolutionary Events Shaped Early History Of Multicellular Life (online) [Accessed 28/05/2021]. 10) Windley, B. F., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Ediacara fauna (online) [Accessed 28/05/2021]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Ediacaran biota (online) [Accessed 28/05/2021]. 12) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Marinoan glaciation (online) [Accessed 28/05/2021].

Aug 22, 202107:39
45- The DNA of Louis XVI

45- The DNA of Louis XVI

Almost no French king is more famous than Louis XVI, reigning during the turbulent times of the French Revolution at the tail-end of the eighteenth century. Previous studies have attempted to characterise his Y-chromosomal single tandem repeat (STR) profile, but were ultimately unsuccessful due to contradictions. So, today, let's explore a 2016 study which analysed a loyalist-owned lock of hair and compared it to three living male-line relatives.

Sources for this episode: 1) Lucotte, G., Thomasset, T. and Wen, S. (2016), The DNA Y-STRs Profile of Louis XVI (1754-1793). International Journal of Sciences 5(4): 68-93. 2) Popkin, J. D. and Goodwin, A., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2021), Louis XVI (online) [Accessed 16/05/2021]. 3) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Family tree of French monarchs (simplified) (online) [Accessed 15/08/2021]. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Karl Wilhelm Naundorff (online) [Accessed 16/05/2021 and 06/09/2021].

Aug 14, 202106:30
44- Point Mutations and Almonds

44- Point Mutations and Almonds

Point mutations can have a huge impact on the genome depending on where in the genetic code they occur. To illustrate this, we're going to be looking at a case study in the form of almonds- formerly poisonous nuts which had their metaphorical fangs taken out by a single base change...

Sources for this episode: 1) Hardy, E. R., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2021), Saint Basil the Great (online) [Accessed 22/05/2021]. 2) Herron, J. C. and Freeman, S. (2015), Evolutionary Analysis (Fifth Edition, Global Edition). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. 3) Leman, J., Scientific American (2019), The Bitter Truth: Scientists Sequence the Almond Genome (online) [Accessed 18/05/2021]. 4) Petruzzello, M., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2021), almond (online) [Accessed 18/05/2021]. 5) Sánchez-Pérez, R., Pavan, S., Mazzeo, R., Molodovan, C., Cigliano, R. A., Del Cueto, J., Ricciardi, F., Lotti, C., Ricciardi, L., Dicenta, F., López-Marquéz, R. L. and Møller, B. L. (2019), Mutation of a bHLH transcription factor allowed almond domestication, Science 364(6445): 1095-1098. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Almond (online) [Accessed 18/05/2021].

Aug 08, 202104:44
43- Two-Component Systems

43- Two-Component Systems

Bacteria are far simpler in molecular terms than eukaryotes. However, they still need to be able to sense and respond to their environment. How do they do this? Enter the two-component system; a two-protein system which allows stimuli to be detected and gene expression altered using phosphate transfer.

Sources for this episode: 1) Madigan, M. T., Martinko, J. M., Dunlap, P. V. and Clark, D. P. (2009), Brock Biology of Microorganisms (12th Edition, International Edition), San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings Ltd. 2) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd. 3) Willey, J. M., Sherwood, L. M. and Woolverton, C. J. (2017), Prescott's Microbiology (10th Edition, International Edition), Singapore: McGraw Hill Education Ltd. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Osmotic concentration (online) [Accessed 27/05/2021].

Aug 01, 202105:30
42- The Quagga

42- The Quagga

No, the episode name isn't a typo. Rather, it's the name of a subspecies of zebra we're going to be discussing today. Along the way, we will explore  clines, the purpose of zebra stripes and an attempt to breed back the quagga from its zebra cousins. Why don't we hear more about it? Well, because it no longer exists...

Sources for this episode: 1) Bryden, H. A. (1889), Kloof and karroo: Sport, legend and natural history in Cape Colony, with a notice of the game birds, and of the present distribution of antelopes and larger game, London and New York: Longmans, Green and Co. Available at: Internet Archive [Accessed 14/05/2021]. 2) Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D. and Hacker, S. D. (2011), Ecology (Second Edition). Sunderland, Massachusetts, Sinauer Associated Ltd. 3) Davis, N., The Guardian (2019), Why the zebra got its stripes: to deter flies from landing on it (online) [Accessed 14/05/2021]. 4) Douglas, G. (1821), A Communication of a Singular Fact in Natural History, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (1776-1886) 111: 20–22. Available at Internet Archive [Accessed 14/05/2021]. 5) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2018), Quagga (online) [Accessed 14/05/2021]. 6) Heywood, P. (2020), Sexual dimorphism of body size in taxidermy specimens of Equus quagga quagga Boddaert (Equidae), Journal of Natural History 53(45-46): 2757-2761. 7) Author unknown, The Quagga Project (date unknown), Home (online) [Accessed 14/05/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Quagga (online) [Accessed 14/05/2021].

Jul 25, 202106:58
41- Gruinard Island

41- Gruinard Island

Biological warfare has been around for centuries. However, it itself isn't the topic of today's episode. Rather, today we're going to talk about experiments conducted with anthrax on Gruinard Island in the United Kingdom.

Sources for this episode: 1) Johnson, M. P., Pye, S. and Allcock, L. (2008), Dispersal mode and assessments of recovery on the shores of Gruinard, the 'anthrax island', Biodiversity Conservation 17: 721-732. 2) Madigan, M. T., Martinko, J. M., Dunlap, P. V. and Clark, D. P. (2009), Brock Biology of Microorganisms (12th Edition, International Edition), San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings Ltd. 3) Riedel, S. (2004), Biological warfare and bioterrorism: a historical warfare, BUMC Proceedings 17: 400-406. 4) Author unknown, BBC News (2001), Britain's 'Anthrax Island' (online) [Accessed 21/05/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Gov.uk (date unknown), The Truth About Porton Down (online) [Accessed 21/05/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Gruinard Island (online) [Accessed 26/04/2021].

Jul 18, 202106:12
40- Two Views on Communities

40- Two Views on Communities

Today is more of a follow-up episode building on episode 39. Specifically, we're going to examine two different schools of thought about plant succession, known as the Gleasonian and Clementsian models...

Sources for this episode: 1) Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D. and Hacker, S. D. (2011), Ecology (Second Edition). Sunderland, Massachusetts, Sinauer Associated Ltd. 2) Hagen, J., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020), Frederic Edward Clements (online) [Accessed 25/04/2021]. 3) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Henry A. Gleason (botanist) (online) [Accessed 25/04/2021].

Jul 11, 202103:44
39- Succession and Climax Communities

39- Succession and Climax Communities

Our discussion this week is going to head back into ecology and focus on succession- a change in the species composition of a community across space or time.

Sources for this episode: 1) Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D. and Hacker, S. D. (2011), Ecology (Second Edition). Sunderland, Massachusetts, Sinauer Associated Ltd. 2) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd. 3) Thompson, J. N., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2018), Ecological succession (online) [Accessed 10/04/2021]. 4) Author unknown, Encyclopaedia.com (updated 2018), Plagioclimax (online) [Accessed 10/04/2021].

Jul 04, 202105:52
38- Haemophilia

38- Haemophilia

Haemophilia is a genetic condition which is characterised by one of the blood clotting factors, usually encoded for on the X chromosome, not being encoded for properly for various reasons- whether it's a mobile genetic element inserting itself into the gene or a simple mutation. On the show today, we describe the cause and symptoms of haemophilia, as well as using the case study of Queen Victoria to show that new mutations are a surprisingly common root cause...

Sources for this episode: 1) Francioli, L. C., et al. (2015), Genome-wide patterns and properties of de novo mutations in humans. Nature Genetics 47(7): 822- 826. 2) Mannucci, P. M. and Tuddenham, E. G. D. (2001), The Haemophilias- From Royal Genes to Gene Therapy. The New England Journal of Medicine 344(23): 1773- 1779. 3) Thain, M. and Hickman, M. (2014), Dictionary of Biology (Eleventh Edition). London: Penguin Books Ltd. 4) Author unknown, The Haemophilia Society (date unknown), Bleeding Disorders > Haemophilia (online) [Accessed 08/04/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Factor VIII (online) [Accessed 08/04/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Queen Victoria (online) [Accessed 08/04/2021].

Jun 27, 202105:05
37- Metapopulations

37- Metapopulations

We're all familiar with populations, but what about a metapopulation? Put simply, these are populations of populations. Thanks to our sources and also my interpretation of the subject from back when I studied the concept, that's the notion we're going to unravel today...

Sources for this episode: 1) Cain, M. L., Bowman, W. D. and Hacker, S. D. (2011), Ecology (Second Edition). Sunderland, Massachusetts, Sinauer Associated Ltd. 2) Thompson, J. N., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2016), Metapopulation (online) [Accessed 17/04/2021]. 3) Wu, J., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Patch dynamics (online) [Accessed 18/04/2021]. 4) In this episode, I use an analogy from how I understood the concept from back when I was taught the concept at university, which I've signposted.

Jun 20, 202104:39
36- Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

36- Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

Back in the early 20th century, an English mathematician and a German scientist both independently came up with an equation to portray the frequency of different phenotypes in a hypothetical population. As we'll see today, this equation rests on some pretty big assumptions which effectively exclude evolution. Why is this useful? Well, because we can use it to see if evolution might be occurring...

Sources for this episode: 1) Chen, B., Cole, J. W. and Grond-Ginsbach, C. (2017), Departure from Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium and Genotyping Error. Frontiers in Genetics 8(167). 2) Herron, J. C. and Freeman, S. (2015), Evolutionary Analysis (Fifth Edition, Global Edition). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. 3) TED-Ed, YouTube (2012), Five fingers of evolution- Paul Anderson (online) [Accessed 18/04/2021]. 4) Thain, M., and Hickman, M. (2014), The Penguin Dictionary of Biology, 11th edition. London: Penguin Publishing Group. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), G. H. Hardy (online). 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Wilhelm Weinberg (online).

Jun 13, 202107:29
35- Five Kingdoms, Three Domains

35- Five Kingdoms, Three Domains

Today, we're going to discuss classification. We're going to briefly skim over how people historically used to organise life, before the establishment of the prokaryote-eukaryote division which would stay in place until an American scientist called Carl Woese rocked the taxonomic boat...

Sources for this episode: 1) Craine, A. G., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020), Carl Woese (online) [Accessed 10/04/2021]. 2) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Taxonomy (online) [Accessed 10/04/2021]. 3-4) Some of the discussion is based on my previous education on the subject and my completion of a Massive Open Online Course 'Emergence of Life' covering this topic in 2018.

Jun 06, 202104:45