- Episode 12: Genetic Variation and Mendel’s LawsThis week we’re talking about Mendel’s Laws and killer genes.
- Life History StrategiesAn organism’s life history is the pattern of growth, development, and reproduction over the course of its life. Since fitness is a measure of the organism’s reproductive success, we know that natural selection will favour the life history strategy that results in the greatest number of offspring that survive to produce offspring of their own. … Continue reading Life History Strategies
- Episode 11: Life History StrategiesThis week we’re talking about life history strategies, domestication of dogs, and animal development.
- Episode 10: Where Do New Species Come From?This week we’re talking about adaptive radiation and humans as a driver of speciation.
- Where Do New Species Come From?A fundamental question in ecology is the question of how the vast diversity of species that we find on this planet originate. Key to this is the idea of reproductive isolation, or the group of mechanisms which prevent two groups of living organisms from breeding with each other. Reproductive isolation can be subdivided into … Continue reading Where Do New Species Come From?
- Maggots Inside Humans?Myiasis, or flystrike, is an infestation of live maggots inside animal (including human) tissue.
- What is a Species?The task of classification of organisms has remained a daunting task ever since we humans began to group what we consider to be closely related living beings together. In the mid 1700s, Swedish botanist, zoologist, and physician Carolus Linnaeus wrote the System Naturae, a way of organizing living beings into a hierarchical fashion. Combined … Continue reading What is a Species?
- Episode 9: What is a Species?This week we’re talking about how we define a species and how it impacts conservation.
- What Were Human Zoos?European fascination with preserving "vanishing" cultural heritage led them to showcase human culture in a shocking way in the name of science.
- Episode 8: Origin of LifeThis week we’re talking about how life originated, artificial life forms, what’s worth conserving, and the possibility of life on other planets.
- Origin of LifeWhile Darwin and Wallace’s theory of evolution explains the vast diversity of species we see today, their theory doesn’t offer an explanation as to HOW life came to be on our planet 3.2 billion years ago. We know from looking at extant species today that certain properties of life are maintained and thus have been … Continue reading Origin of Life
- Episode 7: History of Evolution and Natural SelectionThis week we’re talking about the history of evolutionary theory and the debate between natural selection and group selection.
- The Most Terrifying Bird To Ever Live?From the extinction of the Tyrannosaurs came the era of the Terror Birds
- The History of Evolution and Natural SelectionWithin much of western science prior to the 6th century BC, creation myths pervaded much of the answers to the creation of the universe and the species within it. Aristotle had proposed a taxonomy of nature. Amongst the Ancient Greeks, Empedocles had proposed an early form of spontaneous generation, where individuals were assembled from parts … Continue reading The History of Evolution and Natural Selection
- Natural Selection and AdaptationNatural selection is the key mechanism through with evolutionary change occurs and has led to the near infinite modifications that we see in the biological diversity of the world today. In order for natural selection to occur, three conditions must be met. First, there must be variation – individuals differing from each other – within … Continue reading Natural Selection and Adaptation
- Episode 6: Natural SelectionThis week we’re talking about natural selection, managing forest fires, and selection on humans.
- Slavery, Kidnapping, and MurderUnlike most ant species, slavemaker ants kidnap, murder, and bathe in the blood of their victims to get their way.
- Nutrient Cycling and DecompositionThe source of all essential nutrients is either in the atmosphere or in the form of rocks and minerals around us. These nutrients make their way through living and inorganic forms through nutrient cycling. As organisms are develop, they take in these nutrients and store them in their tissues and/or use them for life’s processes, … Continue reading Nutrient Cycling and Decomposition
- Episode 5: Decomposition and Nutrient CyclingThis week we’re talking about decomposition and nutrient cycling, how we define “natural,” and impacts on biodiversity.
- Afraid to Fall Asleep?For those who suffer from sleep paralysis, falling asleep can be a literal nightmare!
- Energetics and Ecological ProductivityAll energy on the planet is governed by the laws of thermodynamics. The first law states that energy can be transferred but cannot be created nor destroyed. The second law states that while energy is transferred, a portion of it will be lost as heat energy. In the biological world, all energy begins it’s life … Continue reading Energetics and Ecological Productivity
- Episode 4: Energetics and Ecological ProductivityThis week we’re talking about biological productivity, plagiarism in science, and the target audience of research.
- Are Graboids Real?This real-life graboid hides on the ocean floor, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
- Organisms and their EnvironmentEach environment an organism inhabits holds a different set of constraints for processes related to the survival, growth, and reproductive ability of a species. Different patterns of temperature, precipitation, seasonality, depth, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen among terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are reflected in the different characteristics that an organism exhibits. These characteristics include the … Continue reading Organisms and their Environment
- Episode 3: Organisms and their EnvironmentThis week we’re talking about organism adaptations to the environment, statistical significance, and making decisions in research.
- Real-life Mutant PlantsBefore modern genetic engineering, scientists were attempting to improve agriculture through the use of World War II-era nuclear power.
- What is Ecology?Ecology is the study of the relationship between organisms and their environment Ecology is the scientific study of the relationships between the processes behind an organism’s ability to survive, grow and reproduce, and the physical/chemical components (abiotic – temperature, moisture, oxygen concentration, light availability) and the biological/living components (biotic) of their environment. Stemming from the … Continue reading What is Ecology?
- Episode 2: What is Ecology?This week we’re talking about what ecology is, the debate between pure and applied research in ecology, and the biases which exist in funding science.
- Episode 1: The Who/What/Where/Why?Episode 1 of The Ecology Podcast, hosted by Arun Dayanandan, Charles Plaisir, and Kyle Grant. In this episode we talk about who we are, what got us interested in ecology, and where we hope to take the show.
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