1 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Creature Feature production of I Heart Radio. I'm 2 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: your host of Many Parasites. Katie Golden has studied psychology 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: and evolutionary biology, and today on the show, it's a 4 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: listener questions episode. That's right. You send me your questions 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: and I answer them. You can email me at Creature 6 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: Feature Pod at gmail dot com with your animal biology 7 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: questions and I will answer them. Uh sometimes I even 8 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: answer them on the show, like I'm doing today. So 9 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 1: let's get right into it. First off, I have a 10 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: couple of really good questions from Eva H, so I'm 11 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 1: going to answer both of them, all right. In multiple episodes, 12 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: you talked about how when we domesticated dogs, their ears 13 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: got floppy and coats got spotted because of the genetic link. 14 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: But when these traits and a more calm demeanor. When 15 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 1: I shared that fun fact at the dinner table, my 16 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: father immediately shot me down, saying, what about German shepherds 17 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: and other similar breeds that have upright ears? I couldn't 18 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: answer the question or find a good answer on Google. 19 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: Could you help me out and finding the answer? Thank 20 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: you so much. In advance, Eva H from Slovenia, So 21 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: great question, Eva Um also, I will always back you 22 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,919 Speaker 1: up in a fight against your dad. So the answer, well, 23 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: the short answer is we can selectively breed back traits 24 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: that were lost in dogs, such as stronger ear cartilage 25 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: or even aggression. So German shepherds and other breeds can 26 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: have ears that stick up um. But here's the longer answer. 27 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: So floppy ears and spotted coats aren't necessarily intrinsically tied 28 00:01:55,520 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: to calm behavior, but they are linked to neural crest cells, 29 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: namely the amount of neural crest cells. So neural crest 30 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: cells are a group of cells that arise early in 31 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: embryonic development and these will generate a number of different 32 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:15,079 Speaker 1: cell types. So in terms of the domestication of dogs 33 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: and other animals, the domestication process has actually resulted in 34 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: less proliferation of the neural crest cells. And because these 35 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: cells mediate a wide range of characteristics, the theory is 36 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: that by reducing the proliferation of neural crust cells, all 37 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: sorts of traits are affected. It lowers things like hormone 38 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: levels that mediate aggression and causes the animal to be 39 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: less aggressive, but also coincidentally, the lowered proliferation of these 40 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: neural crest cells also affects the development of the animals 41 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 1: cartilage production and melanine distribution, which can result in floppy 42 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: ears spotted coats. So this is called domestication syndrome. Now, 43 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:09,679 Speaker 1: you can selectively breed back in the stronger ear cartilage, 44 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: you can breed back in different kinds of coats. But 45 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: the question is, by breeding back the upright ears, are 46 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: you also breeding back more aggression in the dog? And 47 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: if not, how is it possible to separate the ear 48 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: cartilage strength from the aggression? And you know, disappointingly, I 49 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: actually don't know, and I haven't found a lot of 50 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: good research about it. Um. I suspect that if we 51 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: find an answer to those questions, will have a much 52 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: better understanding of how domestication syndrome works. I would suspect 53 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: that things like ear cartilage and aggression are not inevitably linked. 54 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: So I think you could probably breed back stronger ear 55 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: cartilage without causing a dog to be um, you know, 56 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: just sort of innately aggressive. Because I mean that's rather 57 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: evident because we do have dogs that we've bred uh 58 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: to have that stiffer ear cartilage, like huskies and German 59 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: shepherds and while German shepherds may be known for being 60 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: easily trained to be more aggressive, Um, I think that 61 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: it is clear that they are not wolf like, so 62 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 1: they are not as nearly as aggressive as wolves. You know, 63 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: I don't even know too much about research on whether 64 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: German shepherds without training are like inherently aggressive or anything 65 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: like that. So I think that you can basically fiddle 66 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: around with the dogs such that you're able to uh, 67 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: kind of bring back some of the genes that would 68 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: code for stiffer ear cartilage. But at the same time, 69 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: it isn't completely undoing all those MANI any years of 70 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: selecting for lower digression. Now, how does this work in 71 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: terms of the neural crest cells. Whether it means there's 72 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: a few more neural crest cells, but uh, that doesn't 73 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: mean the dog goes back to being as aggressive as 74 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 1: a wolf. I really don't know, and I was unable 75 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: to find research about it. So I think that is 76 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: a super interesting question, and I'm really hopeful that I'll 77 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 1: be able to find some new research in the future, 78 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: and I'll share it with you guys if I ever do. 79 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: And here's the second question from Eva. H. Hello, it's 80 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: me again. After some more binge. Listening to your wonderful podcast, 81 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: I have gotten an idea. I'm from Slovenia and one 82 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 1: of our symbols kind of is the Clovesca rubica, which 83 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: the literal translation is human fish. The Latin name is 84 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: Proteus anguinus. Despite it being very famous for being only 85 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: found in our region, I know surprisingly little fun facts 86 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: about them, and I would love to change that. They're 87 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: also endangered, so I want to raise awareness for their conservation. 88 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: I find them beautiful and maybe some of your listeners 89 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: might also take an interest in them. Maybe you could 90 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: do an episode about all the weird humanoid animals or 91 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: something like that. Thank you so much in advance. So Eva, 92 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: thank you so much for your questions. I agree that 93 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: the Proteus anguinus deserves more love. It's also known as 94 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: the ulm, and it's a cave dwelling salamander that is pink, 95 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: long and basically eyeless. I have actually talked about these 96 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: guys in detail in the episode called Yum Troglobites, which 97 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: aired on February three, But here's a little bit of 98 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: info on them right now, including some things I didn't 99 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 1: cover last time I spoke about them. So they're called 100 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: human fish because of that fleshy, pink coloration that is 101 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 1: similar to some human skin. They're not fish, but they 102 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: are aquatic. They're actually similar to axilotels and that they 103 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:02,919 Speaker 1: are a permanent what a juvenile form of a salamander. 104 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: So this is called neontony when an animal retains the 105 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: traits of a juvenile for its entire life. By the way, 106 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: we were just talking about the domestication of dogs. Dogs 107 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: can actually be considered to be examples of neontany, as 108 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: they retain the puppy like traits of their wolf ancestors, 109 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: like playfulness, floppy ears, large foreheads, shorter muzzles, smaller size, 110 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: and so on. So back to the human fish a 111 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: k A ohm uh. They can grow to be quite long, 112 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: about a foot or thirty centimeters long. They have these 113 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: tiny cute legs on their front and their back, and 114 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: to me they look like little water dragons. They kind 115 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: of just swim like we imagine a serpentine dragon might 116 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: fly undulating around. So even though their eyes are basically useless, 117 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: they have extremely sensitive taste, smell, and hearing, allowing them 118 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: to locate praise such as insect shrimps, and snails. Even 119 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: though they can't really see distinctly with their sunken eyes, 120 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: both their eyes and their skin is photosensitive, so they 121 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: can quote unquote see light with their skin, which is 122 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: really ridiculously amazing. In addition to all these strange things, 123 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: their lives are very weird and mystical. They can live 124 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: to be over sixty years old, with some studies estimating 125 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: that they could live to be up to a hundred 126 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 1: years old. They only breed every twelve years, and males 127 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:43,319 Speaker 1: seduce females by exerting an attractive pheromony uh then circling 128 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 1: the female while fanning her with his tail, which sounds 129 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: very alluring. Incredibly, they can survive for years without feeding 130 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: by slowing down they're already pretty slow metabolism. That slow 131 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: metabolic rate may also be the key to their longevity, 132 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 1: outliving all of the world's known amphibians. They're also kind 133 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,200 Speaker 1: of introverts and home bodies. They don't like to move 134 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: around much. One home that was tracked by researchers stayed 135 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: in the exact same spot for seven years without moving. 136 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: Because they lack natural predators, they can afford to be 137 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: very chill and just kind of hang out, and I 138 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:31,319 Speaker 1: guess you kind of have to take it slow when 139 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: you live in a cave where food and change is 140 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: very scarce. But yeah, I love the idea of talking 141 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: about animals with human traits. Maybe I will do a 142 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: whole episode on it. In the meantime. Here's a quick sample. 143 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: There's the Kintacanthus incarnatus, otherwise known as the man faced 144 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 1: stink bug. It's an orange, red, or yellow or cream 145 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: colored stink bug found in India and Southeas East Asia, 146 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: with black markings that can look like a face or 147 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:10,319 Speaker 1: a decorative mask. It's possible that the mask are eye spots, 148 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: a form of defense, tricking predators into thinking there's a 149 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: large pair of eyes looking at them. In the stink 150 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: bugs case, if that doesn't work, they've got something hidden 151 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: up their sleeve, or at least stink glance hidden under 152 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: their abdomen that they can deploy as a defensive measure 153 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: chemical warfare against anything that would want to eat it, 154 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: or anyone that pokes at it and is unlucky enough 155 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 1: to learn that. Hey, stink bugs are named that way 156 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: for a reason. So I'm gonna take just a real 157 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 1: quick break and then when I get back, I'm going 158 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: to answer another listener question. So I am back, and 159 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 1: here is another listener question. Thank Katie. I'm in a 160 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: mammalogy class this semester and it made me want to 161 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: find an episode. I don't think I completely hallucinated. I 162 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: seem to recall you talking about mammals that coexisted with 163 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,959 Speaker 1: dinosaurs for an episode, and you even had a book 164 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: recommendation to go with it. Maybe it wasn't a whole episode, 165 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: And if you hadn't done this, then I'd love to 166 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: hear you talk about mammals that coexisted with dinosaurs. Thanks Hannah. 167 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: Hi Hannah. So yes, I have to be honest with you. 168 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: I'm not sure I remember if I did an episode 169 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: about mammals that coexisted with dinosaurs. But if I didn't yet, 170 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: which I don't think I have, that is a great idea. 171 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:43,719 Speaker 1: The two dinosaur focused episodes that I remember are Jurassic 172 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: Paul Blart from January and Go Home, Nature You're Drunk 173 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: from July, which must be a pretty old episode. I 174 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: don't remember how good I was back then, probably a 175 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: little bit rough, but hey, you know what, we all 176 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: start somewhere. So in that episode, the one from nineteen. 177 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: I checked my notes and I did make a book recommendation. 178 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: I recommended All Yesterday's Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs 179 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: and Other Prehistoric Animals, which is by John Conway see 180 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: Him Closeman and Darren Nish and illustrated by Scott Hartman, 181 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: and it is a lovely book. It shows pictures of 182 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: how contemporary animals might be depicted if we only had 183 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 1: their fossil records and tried to guess what they looked like. Uh. 184 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: It's like it's this thing that we actually call shrink rapping, 185 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 1: where when you depict a dinosaur, you're basing it off 186 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,080 Speaker 1: of fossil records. And while fossil records can preserve quite 187 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: a bit of things such as bones, even sometimes tissues 188 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: or imprints, it doesn't contain the totality of the information 189 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:01,119 Speaker 1: about the animal. And so, especially back before we had 190 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 1: ways to detect less visible things in these fossil records, 191 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: things like you know, we found uh prints of like 192 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 1: mites and things that would be found in feathers and 193 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: so on. Uh, we had this view of dinosaurs as 194 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:19,439 Speaker 1: being you know, mostly brown or green, kind of like 195 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: you know, reptiles. I suppose although there are a lot 196 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,839 Speaker 1: of very colorful reptiles um, but we also viewed them 197 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: as being quite lean, so very muscular, but kind of skeletal, 198 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: so that that lean look where you are sort of 199 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: guessing that they have the least amount of muscle mass 200 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: are not covered by anything like feathers or ornamentation, is 201 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: called shrink wrapping because of what shrink wrapping is, so 202 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: we have probably done this to dinosaurs, where we uh 203 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,840 Speaker 1: kind of underestimate how much stuff they have, either fat 204 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,679 Speaker 1: or ornamentation or feathers, and so in this book they 205 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 1: illustrate what this is like by using contemporary animals that 206 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: we know what they look like, and then treating giving 207 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: them the sharing grapping treatment, imagining if they were a 208 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: paleo artist with only the fossil records of say like 209 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 1: a swan to work from, and then they draw this 210 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: swan that's this featherless, gaunt, kind of frightening monster whose 211 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: wing tips are these like spears that they used to 212 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: impale fish, or a baboon which looks absolutely demonic when 213 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: you remove its fur and a lot of its flesh. 214 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: So it's meant to show how we may have been 215 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: making similar errors when depicting dinosaurs. Um. It also offers 216 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: speculative depictions of dinosaurs as being more colorful and ornamented 217 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: than we typically imagine them with feathers, and also maybe 218 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: showing behaviors we wouldn't think that dinosaurs have, like maybe 219 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: small dinosaurs going up in a tree and climbing it 220 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:59,239 Speaker 1: and trying to eat the leaves there. So yes, uh, 221 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 1: this I think is a really good book. Um. And yeah, 222 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: So mammals did coexist with dinosaurs, and while many of 223 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 1: them died out due to the same asteroid disaster that 224 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: resulted in this you know, massive heat wave masses climate 225 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: disaster that killed off so much vegetation and then famine. 226 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: Um this uh yeah, this killed the dinosaurs except for birds, 227 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 1: who are dinosaurs and still alive. Uh. And it also 228 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: killed off a lot of mammals. But because many mammals 229 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: were small and able to survive the heat wave by 230 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: being in their little burrows. Uh. And then when they emerged, 231 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: they were able to adapt to that shortage of food 232 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: more easily given their size. The same adaptability is found 233 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: in things like you know, birds who were ancestors of 234 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: the smaller feathery dinosaurs that survived. Also like all of 235 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: the reptiles, amphibians, uh, fish, these other animals that all 236 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,680 Speaker 1: survived the asteroid impact. You know, they were tended to 237 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: be smaller, um, tended to be more adaptable to and 238 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: in terms of finding new food sources, finding shelter. So 239 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: then we ended up with, of course, this diversification of 240 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: this small number of mammals that survived the asteroid UH. 241 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: And they were able to become bigger and more dominant 242 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 1: given the absence of the dinosaurs. But during the reign 243 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: of the dinosaurs, mammals were somewhat relegated to the margins 244 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: of the I was gonna say society, dino society. I 245 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: don't really know if you can call it a society. 246 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: But they were small, nocturnal and had to constantly be 247 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: on edge during the presence of fierce dinosaur predators. Mammals 248 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: did not evolve from dinosaurs, but diverged from a common 249 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: ancestor in a clade known as synapsid. So mammals evolved 250 00:16:55,760 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: from a mammal like reptile about a hundred e d 251 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:05,159 Speaker 1: two two hundred million years ago. Uh. The largest mammals 252 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: that co existed with the dinosaurs were about the size 253 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: of a badger, and the smallest were like these tiny 254 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: wool like creatures, and I yes, it is fascinating. I 255 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: think I will do a full episode on the mammals 256 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 1: that coexisted with the dinosaurs, and then the consequences of 257 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,879 Speaker 1: the asteroid impact and then the diversification of mammals after that. 258 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: I think that's a great suggestion. So thanks so much 259 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: for the idea, Hannah Um. But now I'm going to 260 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: take a quick break and then we'll come back and 261 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: do the final listener question. All right, we are back, 262 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,400 Speaker 1: and it's just one more listener question to you answer. 263 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 1: So have you done a podcast about undersea event creatures? 264 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: I don't suppose they would taste very good, but who 265 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: knows what a genius Italian chef could come up with. 266 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:59,120 Speaker 1: I have a slightly more serious question. Articles about these 267 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: events tell out shrimps, lobsters, and other living things around 268 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: the vents. I would like some clarification about that. Are 269 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: these creatures who aren't related to shrimps who only look 270 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: like shrimps? I thought only micro organisms used chemosynthesis? Do 271 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:19,400 Speaker 1: the creatures living around these events use chemosynthesis? Thanks sincerely, Stephen. 272 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,680 Speaker 1: So this is a great question, Steven, So, I did 273 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: do an episode on the undersea vent shrimp. It's called 274 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 1: the Shrimp Episode and it aired March thirty one. It 275 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: was all about shrimps, not just the deep sea variety 276 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: of shrimps, but a bunch of different shrimps. Um. But yes, now, 277 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: onto what is going on with those deep sea events? 278 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 1: How can life survive down there? Are they shrimp? Are 279 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: they giant bacteria? So to answer your question, yes, shrimp. 280 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 1: These things that you have heard of are indeed shrimp, 281 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: and they don't use chemosynthesis, but they do feed on 282 00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:00,199 Speaker 1: the micro organisms who do use chemosynthesis. So, one you 283 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: have microbes who can survive near these deep see events, 284 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 1: you open up things for animals that are bigger and 285 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: then slightly bigger than that, and so like there's a 286 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: whole food chain based on these small microbes who are 287 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:18,479 Speaker 1: able to utilize the chemistry of the hydrothermal vents that 288 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: animals cannot really use. So here's how it works. There 289 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: are these chimneys at the bottom of the sea, called 290 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: the hydrothermal vents that spew hot, hot, hot hot water 291 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: filled with a variety of chemical compounds such as hydrogen, hydrogen, sulfide, ammonia, 292 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,679 Speaker 1: and other things that we can't really eat and life 293 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:47,240 Speaker 1: cannot really survive in the hottest part of the vent, 294 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: But radiating out from the hottest part are zones that 295 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: are inhabitable by different living organisms. Microbes, including both archaa 296 00:19:56,160 --> 00:20:00,360 Speaker 1: and bacteria, can survive in very high temperatures and can 297 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 1: convert the inorganic compounds being spewed out by the vent 298 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: into energy. This process is called chemosynthesis, and it involves 299 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: the conversion of inorganic matter into organic matter. The microbes 300 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: capable of chemosynthesis are the foundation of the chain of 301 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 1: life near these hydrothermal vents. So next you have the 302 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: animals that eat the microbes themselves or the byproducts the 303 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: microbes produce. Deep sea limpets, which are a type of 304 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: aquatic snail, feed on the microbial mats like these thick 305 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: carpets of microbes giant tube worms. Meanwhile, these things that 306 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:47,400 Speaker 1: look like organic pipe organs almost feed on the byproducts 307 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:51,680 Speaker 1: of the microbes. They allow bacteria to live inside them 308 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: and then they feed on the bacteria's byproducts. So this 309 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:59,440 Speaker 1: is a symbiotic relationship between the two worm and the bacteria, 310 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: and the bacteria gets a nice place to live. Whereas 311 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: the two warm gets food produced by the bacteria, and 312 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 1: the tube warm actually has no other way of eating. 313 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 1: It does not have a gut. It just feeds on 314 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: the byproduct of the bacteria entirely, so onto the shrimp 315 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 1: in the room. Yes, shrimp do live near these hydrothermal vents. 316 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:28,720 Speaker 1: In particular, there is a really interesting case. The Biba 317 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,719 Speaker 1: hydrothermal vent, which is the deepest hydrothermal vents in the world, 318 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: are found in the Caribbean near the Cayman Islands and 319 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:43,160 Speaker 1: are a host to the species of pale white eyeless 320 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:48,880 Speaker 1: shrimp called Rima carris hibisa. These shrimp can either eat 321 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 1: bacteria or become carnivores and eat those tiny snails, crustaceans, 322 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: or even each other. Areas where the shrimp populations are 323 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:04,239 Speaker 1: dense are typically areas where these shrimp eat bacteria, and 324 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 1: in the areas where the shrimp population is more sparse, 325 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: they actually typically hunt. So let's think about this for 326 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: a minute. Does this mean that when the shrimp are 327 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 1: in these dense clusters, they're more likely to eat bacteria 328 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 1: because they're in these clusters um and then when they 329 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:26,959 Speaker 1: are more sparse they're more likely to hunt for some 330 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 1: reason because they are in more sparsely populated areas well, 331 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: that's not clear, so this is not necessarily causal. Perhaps 332 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 1: the reason that they mostly eat bacteria rather than hunt 333 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: in the areas where they're dense is simply because there's 334 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: more bacteria there, so they don't have to hunt. So 335 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: they're like in a bacteria hotspot and they can afford 336 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: to just eat the bacteria and they don't have to 337 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: worry about hunting. But maybe in areas where bacteria is 338 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 1: less abundant they have to resort to hunting and cannibalism. 339 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:58,960 Speaker 1: I don't know what this is true. This is a 340 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: relatively newly discovered species of shrimps, so uh, you know, 341 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,280 Speaker 1: it's just an interesting example of like you have to 342 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: when you see some kind of connection between like um 343 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,919 Speaker 1: a behavior and the environment, you have to figure out, 344 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: like which way is the causality going in terms of 345 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: these like chains where you have like this sort of 346 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: this species that establishes itself in this place that doesn't 347 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: seem like anything could live there, and then from that 348 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: from that organism, like the bacteria that lives near the 349 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,800 Speaker 1: hydrothermal events all sorts of other life that can even 350 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:38,119 Speaker 1: get bigger and bigger can live there. Uh. You don't 351 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: actually have to travel to the bottom of the ocean 352 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 1: to see examples of this kind of chain um of 353 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: animals being able to colonize a space. You can go 354 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 1: to the woods. You could even go somewhere in your 355 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,479 Speaker 1: city if there's anywhere that has like some old brick 356 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: or old stone structures, because you can observe plant succession. 357 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: So a big rock or just like a stone wall 358 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: is not a great place for something like a plant 359 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 1: or a flower to live in. But lichens are hardier 360 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 1: and they can actually establish themselves. All they really need 361 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: is sun and water, and not that much water, even 362 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: just a little bit. Lichens, by the way, are really 363 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: incredible and super deeper weird. They're not plants. They're not 364 00:24:30,640 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 1: even one species, but a mutualistic relationship between fungi and 365 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: algae or sometimes cyanobacteria. It's a composite organism made up 366 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 1: of combined species, which is totally wild. I probably need 367 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: to talk about them more, but first I have to 368 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:54,240 Speaker 1: learn more about them, because they confuse me. Anyways, Once 369 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 1: the lichen has established itself, it actually breaks down the 370 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: rock with acids, which makes the rock easier for moss 371 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 1: to establish roots. So then moss can move in and 372 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: mosque is a non vascular plant. If the moss is successful, 373 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:20,320 Speaker 1: the decom the decomposition of the moss actually allows vascular 374 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: plants to take roots because now they are is nutrients 375 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 1: for the vascular plants. Vascular plants are plants that transfer 376 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 1: water and nutrients through their conducting tissues. And that includes 377 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 1: most of the plants that you know as plants like trees, flowers, 378 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 1: et cetera. So you have a bare rock, you have 379 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 1: to start with lichen. If that's successful, then you can 380 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: get moss, and then if that's successful, you can get 381 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: more vascular plants. Uh. And so this can be the 382 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 1: cycle of an area becoming full of vegetation and it's 383 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: really fascinating. So that's it for the questions. UM. I 384 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: know that I said I would answer the mystery animal 385 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: sound this week, but I do want to save it 386 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 1: for when I have a guest on, so I will 387 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: answer it next week. Um and in case you want 388 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: to hear it again to try to guess before next week. 389 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: Here's the sound and the hint. They sound like drunks 390 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 1: on land and alien spaceships in the sea, but they're 391 00:26:23,000 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: always chill. M hm m m m h m hm. Yeah. Alrighty, 392 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 1: that'll do it for us today. Um, if you're aching 393 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:12,800 Speaker 1: for more Katie content, I just actually recorded an episode 394 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 1: with Alex Schmidt the Secretly Incredibly Fascinating podcast on Eels, 395 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,440 Speaker 1: which is a lot of fun. I love Eels, so 396 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: check that out. And uh, hey, you know what, thank 397 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: you so much for listening. I really enjoy doing these 398 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 1: listener questions episodes. It gives me a chance to feel 399 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: like I'm kind of directly talking to you, and I 400 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 1: really love your questions, you guys. I'm thinking about doing 401 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:43,679 Speaker 1: another one of these pretty soon actually, so please please please, 402 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 1: if you have questions, send them to me at Creature 403 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:51,920 Speaker 1: feature pot at gmail dot com and I always try 404 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: to answer them either on the show or I will 405 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,560 Speaker 1: try to email you back. So yes, send me your questions, 406 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 1: even it's silly. I like silly questions too. And thanks 407 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: so much to the Space Classics for their super awesome 408 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 1: song Exo Lumina. Creature features a production of I Heart Radio. 409 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 1: For more podcasts like the one you just heard, visit 410 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: the I Heart radio app Apple podcasts or hey, guess what. However, 411 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows just you and me, 412 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 1: like you don't have to. You don't have to, like 413 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: pretend that you do any of you know, any specific 414 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: podcast provider, Like I won't tell on you. I'm not. 415 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna tattle on you. See you next Wednesday,