#74 - Whales: The Mysterious Giants of the Ocean: A Dialogue with Nick Pyenson

Converging Dialogues

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nick Pyenson about whales and their environment. They begin the conversation by talking about the importance of science communication and Nick's role in science communication with his research and book. They discuss the various ways in which scientists obtain whale data and talk about the evolution of whales. They talk about the two phases of whale evolution from land to water and provide a natural history of whales through different periods of the earth. They discuss the challenges with whaling and explain the taxonomy of whales. They engage about the diet of whales and how their dietary habits contribute to the ecosystems of the oceans. They talk about the impact of increased carbon dioxide and ocean acidification on the future of whale along with many other topics.

Nick Pyenson is a Paleontologist, Research Geologist, and curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian's Institution's National Museum of Natural History. His scientific research has focused on the convergent evolution of marine life, including whales. He is the author of the book, Spying on Whales: The Past, Present, and Future of Earth's Most Awesome Creatures, which can be found here. You can find his work at his website. Twitter: @pyensonlab

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