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Science

The Fossil Files

by Robert Sansom and Susannah Maidment
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Latest episodes

  • Could dinosaurs swim across oceans? Part 1

    October 20, 2026 · 41 min

    Dinosaurs were massive. No cap. They spread all over the world, but how did they cross oceans? In this episode we ask the question: how far could a dinosaur swim? This isn't just an esoteric question, but one that has a big impact on how…

  • Cute fossil babies reveal how mammals evolved live birth

    October 6, 2026 · 51 min

    How and when did mammals transition from laying eggs to live birth? The fossil record doesn't typically preserve soft tissues like embryos and placentas making this a tough problem. This week we take a look at two new fossil discoveries…

  • Are we failing the next generation of palaeontologists? The future of fieldwork [Bonus Preview]

    September 29, 2026 · 13 min

    New finds in palaeontology are dependent on people getting out in the field and digging up fossils, but are the next generation of palaeontologists getting to do that? Opportunities for fieldwork and fieldwork training have become more…

  • The sound of a Jurassic forest, recreated using fossils and AI

    September 22, 2026 · 37 min

    Sounds play such an important ecological role, but palaeontologists have always had to use their imagination when reconstructing the sound of extinct landscapes: Until now! For the first time a team of scientists have reconstructed the…

  • Where did turtles come from?

    September 8, 2026 · 48 min

    The origin of turtles has long been a scientific mystery. Not only do they have super weird things going on with their ribs, head, and teeth, but also its unclear if they were more closely related to birds and crocodiles, or snakes and…

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  • Fake Fossil Fails [Bonus]

    August 28, 2026 · 20 min

    What happens when fossils that have been faked or 'enhanced' end up being used in scientific studies? Why does it happen? How can we spot them? How do researchers, preparators, publishers and museums deal with it? In this bonus episode…

  • Were dinosaurs eating fruit? Cretaceous Plant Power

    August 18, 2026 · 45 min

    As well as tasting good, fruit play a really important role in ecosystems across the world. But when did they evolve? Were dinosaurs eating them and dispersing them? In a fossil files first, we take a look at the evolution of plants, in…

  • The weird case of a whale necropolis, sat at the bottom of an ocean trench for 5 million years

    August 4, 2026 · 44 min

    The deep sea environment holds many mysteries but yields hardly any fossils. A new mindblowing finding at the bottom of the Indian ocean challenges the way we think about life in the deep and the nature of palaeontology. In 2023, a Chinese…

  • How to become a palaeontologist: Finding and applying for PhDs

    July 28, 2026 · 22 min

    Studying for a PhD is in an important step towards becoming a scientist, but the process of finding and applying for a PhD programme is mysterious and inaccessible. In this bonus episode Susie and Rob discuss some tips and ideas to…

  • The hunt for the first-ever animals, with Emily Mitchell

    July 21, 2026 · 37 min

    Where, when, and how did the animals first appear? The fossil record holds some tantalising insights from well-preserved sites in Canada, Australia, Russia (and Leicester). This week we are joined by Dr Emily Mitchell of the University of…

  • Did a lack of sex hold back the evolution of the first animals?

    July 14, 2026 · 49 min

    The first animals turned up in the Ediacaran as simple frond-like organisms that didn't do much of anything. Why was this Pre-Cambrian 'Avalonian biota' so static and boring for 12-20 million years before animals started diversifying…

  • Why did T. rex have such small arms? Revealed

    June 30, 2026 · 48 min

    Tyrannosaurus rex is perhaps the most famous dinosaur and maybe even the most famous fossil animal. It has long been a source of curiosity as to why is has such small arms though. What could the possible function be? This week we take a…

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About the show

In "The Fossil Files", a pair of palaeontologists delve into the latest discoveries from the world of palaeontology and seek to bring fossils to back to life. Each episode, Susie and Rob will discuss an interesting new research paper ranging from topics of what dinosaurs ate, how plesiosaurs swam, where we came from, and the science of de-extinction. Whilst doing so, we peek under the hood of how the science of palaeontology is done and how research gets to see the light of day. It is for anybody interested in palaeontology and past life whether that is students, researchers themselves, or simply the fossil-curious - we laugh as we learn, and hope you will too. Episode guide at https://fossils.libsyn.com/ Bonus content at Patreon https://patreon.com/FossilFiles