If you’ve ever heard the phrase “play possum”, you may know it means to feign death. It’s real thing. Possums do it, as do sharks, ants, and a multitude of other animals. It’s a defense mechanisms shaped by evolution.
Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.
Works Cited
-
Dublin. “Jaws Theme!!” YouTube, 24 Aug. 2007, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvCI-gNK_y4.
-
Humphreys, Rosalind K., and Graeme D. Ruxton. “A Review of Thanatosis (Death Feigning) as an Anti-predator Behaviour.” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, vol. 72, no. 2, Springer Science+Business Media, Jan. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-017-2436-8.
-
Lee, Robin. “8 Spiders That Play Dead (& Facts You Should Know).” ThePetEnthusiast, 19 Feb. 2023, thepetenthusiast.com/types-of-spiders-that-play-dead.
-
Maxwell, Krishna. “Playing Possum: 9 Animals That Play Dead to Survive.” AZ Animals, June 2023, a-z-animals.com/blog/playing-possum-9-animals-that-play-dead-to-survive.
-
Peterson, Christine. “Many Animals Play Dead—and Not Just to Avoid Getting Eaten.” Animals, 4 May 2021, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/many-animals-play-dead-not-just-to-avoid-predators.
-
Stachurski, John. “Avoiding Death by Feigning Death.” Current Biology, vol. 28, no. 19, Elsevier BV, Oct. 2018, pp. R1135–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.07.070.
-
“Tonic Immobility.” The Shark Trust, www.sharktrust.org/tonic-immobility.
-
WB Kids. “Eh… What’s Up Doc? | Looney Tuesdays | WB Kids.” YouTube, 19 Nov. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV7UNLqtqpQ.
Music in this Episode
- Go Little Car by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
- Dinky by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
- Arp Arc by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
- Ant Party by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
Testimonials
What People are Saying
“Easy to understand”
"Even experienced scientists will still find the historical anecdotes and material interesting"
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology news
"I will be using some of these podcasts for my high school students. "
Apple Podcast Review
“Great podcast”
"Intelligent, informative, & insightful."
Apple Podcast Review
"Yum"
"Bite size moresels of evolutionary goodness."
Apple Podcast Review