BROADCASTS.com

Feathers are among the most diverse and complex forms of animal integument. Today, they\u2019re exclusive to birds, where they can be found in a dizzying variety of forms and functions, and incredible fossils reveal even more diversity of feathers on ancient dinosaurs. This episode, we explore the features of modern feathers, the mysteries of feather origins, and the much-discussed question of which ancient animals were truly feathered.\nIn the news: sturdy bird necks, giant worms, early photosynthesis, and very old skin.\nTime markers: Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00 News: 00:06:20 Main discussion, Part 1: 00:37:00 Main discussion, Part 2: 01:15:55 Patron question: 02:11:30\nCheck out our website for this episode\u2019s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/\nJoin us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcast\nGot a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/\nWe\u2019re an Audible Affiliate Partner! Use this link for a 30-day free trial to Audible: https://www.audibletrial.com/CommonDescent\nLots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descent\nThe Intro and Outro music is \u201cOn the Origin of Species\u201d by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.org.\nMusical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/