Forests are among the most widespread and diverse biomes on our planet. This episode, we’re joined by our favorite paleobotanist, Dr. Aly Baumgartner, to explore what defines a forest, how these habitats function, and how they differ around the globe. Then, we’ll take a trip into the past to discuss how paleontologists study ancient forests and how these biomes have changed over hundreds of millions of years.In the news: ocean sediments, early penguins, island foxes, Canadian dragonflies, and ancient deer.Time markers: Intro & Announcements: News: Main discussion, Part 1: Main discussion, Part 2: Patron question: Check out our website for this episode’s blog post and more: http://commondescentpodcast.com/Listen to more Plants with Aly on Leaf it to Us! https://commondescentpodcast.com/leaf-it-to-us/Join us on Patreon to support the podcast and enjoy bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/commondescentpodcastSubscribe to Curiosity Box using our Affiliate Link: https://www.curiositybox.com/CommonDescent And get 25% off the first box with code descent25Got a topic you want to hear about? Submit your episode request here: https://commondescentpodcast.com/request-a-topic/Lots more ways to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/common_descentThe Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome. More music like this at http://ocremix.orgMusical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0