What The Duck?!

Two million years ago, our ancestors had tiny ape-like butts. Then something strange happened.. our butts grew bigger. Butt, why?
It turns out humans aren’t the only primates whose butt took a bizarre evolutionary turn.
These peaches have a lot to answer for.
Featuring:
Professor Daniel Lieberman, Harvard University, US.
Professor Jo Setchell, Durham University, UK. 
Dr Peter Bishop, Harvard University, US.
Lauren Thornton, University of Sunshine Coast.
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
Additional mastering: Russell Stapleton.
This episode of What the Duck was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung people. 
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

A superhero origin story would absolutely be 12 years in a cage and then set free by secretive criminals.
That’s the story of Flaco, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, released from his vandalised cage in Central Park Zoo, New York City. 
But how long could Flaco possibly last in the graveyard of bird diversity that is the city? How long could he fly without confusing a window for the sky?
Featuring:
Ed Shanahan, Metro reporter, The New York Times.
Julia Wang, Project Leader, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Brendon Samuels, Fatal Light Awareness Program and Western University in Canada.
Dr Kylie Soanes, Urban ecologist at The University of Melbourne.
Mat Howard, Midjuburi Ward (Marrickville), Inner West Council, NSW.
Kat and Zach, Flaco Song.
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
Additional mastering:  Hamish Camilleri.
This episode of What the Duck was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung people. 
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

Mum says it’s ok to be angry. But it’s not ok to take over a whole island state.
Featuring: 
Andrew Barron - Comparative Neuroscientist from Macquarie University, NSW
Tim Low - Biologist and a founder of the Invasive Species Council
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Sarah Prosser, Producer
Harvey O'Sullivan, Mastering Engineer
This episode of What the Duck was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung people. 
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

How will we survive the cosmic void? Scientists have a superfood diet in mind, but will the smallest flowering plant on Earth REALLY save humanity? 
Featuring:
Jenny Mortimer - Professor of Plant Synthetic Biology in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine at Adelaide University. Chief investigator in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space
Gareth Prosser – Professional Voice Over Artist whose wife roped him in 
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer
Sarah Prosser, Producer
Mastering Engineer, Emyrs Cronin  
This episode of What the Duck was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung people. 
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.

Why is it that bird names seem so… childishly misogynistic? 
Featuring: 
Professor Andrew Cockburn, bird watcher and word batcher, ANU
Jeannie Gray, Author, Australian Bird Names: Origins and Meanings.
Ian Fraser, Author, Australia Bird Names:  Origins and Meanings.
Stephen Downes, the brains behind @Parrotoftheday social media accounts
Stephen Moss, Author, Mrs Moreau's Warbler: How Birds Got Their Names.
Nola Turner-Jensen, Culture Inclusion Specialist and Wiradjuri Historian
Dr Ayesha Tulloch, Research Fellow, QUT.
This episode was first broadcast in 2022.
Featuring extra sounds from listeners:
Large-tailed Nightjar from Briony Barnett.
Cat Bird from Scott Fisher. 
And extra sounds from bird enthusiasts:
Marc Anderson, XC287030. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/287030 ( Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0)
Yong Ding Li, XC57231. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/57231 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5)
Phil Gregory, XC690345. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/690345 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0)
Production:
Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
Joel Werner, Script Editing.
This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and the Kaurna people. 
Find more episodes of the ABC podcast, What the Duck?! with the always curious Dr Ann Jones exploring the mysteries of nature on ABC Listen (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. You'll learn more about the weird and unusual aspects of our natural world in a quirky, fun way with easy to understand science.