About this episode
Steven Rinella talks with Pamela Groves , Daniel Mann , Janis Putelis , Ryan Callaghan , Brody Henderson , Phil Taylor , and Corinne Schneider . Topics discussed: running rivers full of bones in the name of science; Mike Kunz, the Forest Gump of Archaeology; the Mesa Site; when you find a 50,000+ year old polar bear skull just sitting on the beach; the hybridization of brown and polar bears; horses as the most numerous large animal during the Ice Age; how you can't just collect paleontological artifacts from Federal Land to create your own collection; the conical ice cream cone growth of mammoth tusks; Bison Bob; interred in sediment; the most exciting find: a hand sticking out of the ground; environmental DNA; the megafaunal extinction event when 70% of large mammals went extinct globally; loess; throwing out the overkill hypothesis; genetic engineering, re-wilding and pet mammoths; Steve's future retirement pursuit of becoming a large pumpkin enthusiast; the last big flock of passenger pigeons killed near where Steve grew up; trying to cultivate that purple alder; how to donate to Pam and Dan's research at the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (donors should note "other" as designation and enter Daniel H Mann and dhmann@alaska.edu in the comments section); and more. Connect with Steve and MeatEater Steve on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , and Youtube Shop MeatEater Merch Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.