Eons

1. E1. How our deadliest parasite turned to the dark side

   Jan 11, 2022 · 10m

   Around 10,000 years ago, somewhere in Africa, a microscopic parasite made a huge leap. With a little help from a mosquito, it left its animal host - probably a gorilla - and found its way to a new host: us.

2. E2. Primates vs Snakes (An Evolutionary Arms Race)

   Jan 19, 2022 · 10m

   The Snake Detection Hypothesis proposes that the ability to quickly spot and avoid snakes is deeply embedded in primates, including us - an evolutionary consequence of the danger snakes have posed to us over millions of years.

3. E3. How the Rise of Social Insects Shrunk These Dinosaurs

   Jan 27, 2022 · 10m

   We often think of dinosaurs as either preying on other dinos or mammals, or as plant-eaters -- but in ecosystems today, those aren’t the only two options. So why would we expect dinosaurs to have only been carnivores or herbivores, with the occasional omnivore thrown in the mix?

4. E4. How Vertebrates Got Teeth... And Lost Them Again

   Feb 8, 2022 · 10m

   As revolutionary as teeth were, they would go on to disappear in some groups of vertebrates. But why?

5. E5. How Horses Went From Food To Friends

   Feb 16, 2022 · 10m

   Do our modern horses descend from just one domesticated population, or did it happen many times, in many places? Answering these questions has been tricky, as we’ve needed to bring together evidence from art, archaeology, and ancient DNA…Because, as it turns out, the history of humans and horses has been a pretty wild ride.

6. E6. Why We Only Have Ten Toes (It's a Long Story)

   Feb 23, 2022 · 10m

   Today, all mammals from humans to bats have five fingers or fewer. Yes, even whales, whose finger bones are hidden in their fins. Birds have four or fewer and amphibians get the best of both worlds, often having four digits on their “hands” and five on their “feet.” But no species of vertebrates have more than five digits, let alone eight!

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