Evolution Talk

About Evolution Talk

Everything you wanted to know about evolution by natural selection in short, easy to digest, episodes. Hosted, and produced by writer Rick Coste.

Publisher

Rick Coste

Category

history · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Aug 2014

Latest episode

20 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 182 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   20 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   What's So Random About Mutations?

   Host Dr. Carl Zimmer explores the true meaning of randomness in genetic mutations, revealing how it fuels evolutionary change.

2. 

   6 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Beauty is Everywhere

   Host David Sloan Wilson observes nature's ordinary morning business, revealing evolutionary beauty in everyday life.

3. 

   23 Sept 2024

   Mutation Celebration Day

   Charles Darwin's revolutionary observations of Galapagos tortoises and finches, explored how natural selection allows species to adapt over time. From the discovery of the hawk moth in Madagascar, predicted by Darwin, to the groundbreaking discovery of DNA by Rosalind Franklin, Francis Crick, and James Watson, we look at how genetic changes drive evolution. Please consider becoming a show Patron to help keep new episodes coming! Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com (http://evolutiontalk.com/), or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy. Music in this Episode Bright White by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Stars are Out by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Inside a recent episode

What's So Random About Mutations?

Published 20 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] It's not unlike that classic example, or Lamarckian example, of a giraffe's long neck, that it grew long so that it could reach leaves higher in the trees. The mutation for long necks happened because the leaves were high and it needed to reach them, according to Lamarck. But back to the frogs. Let's shove Lamarckian reasons completely aside. Those blue frogs might go extinct without any changes. That happens. all the time in nature. Animals prey on other animals and sometimes they do so to the point that the animal being preyed upon disappears from the food chain forever. But sometimes a replication error or one caused by something, not something random, a real cause, like say a chemical change, might in a one in a million chance result in a green pigment to that frog's skin. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

200 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

166 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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