In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kenneth Catania about various animals that are outliers for evolution. They discuss how evolution helps understand these animals that are outliers. They talk about the anatomy and features of the star-nosed moles. They mention the importance of the neocortex in moles and shrews. They discuss the fascinating features of the tentacled snake and the electric eel along with the "zombie" effect the female jewel wasp conducts and many other topics.
Kenneth Catania is a professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University. He has his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of California, San Diego. His research focus is on comparative neurobiology in different animal sensory systems. His latest book, Great Adaptations: Star-Nosed Moles, Electric Eels, and Other Tales of Evolution's Mysteries Solved, can be purchased here. You can also find his lab here.
#98 - Puzzling Wonders of Evolution: A Dialogue with Kenneth Catania