About this episode
The episode explores how invasive species like rabbits may evolve in Australia and what future evolution could look like.
Listener Bart in Australia sees invasive species in his area almost every day – rabbits, foxes, and cats. They were transplanted to Australia from Europe more than 100 years ago, but seem to be thriving in their new home. This got him wondering: how are they going to evolve, now that they are in a new habitat? Can we predict what future evolution will look like based on what we already know? To find out, Marnie Chesterton visits Sandy Ingelby at the Australian Museum, who manages the mammal collection. She shows Marnie how indigenous Australian animals have evolved to suit where they live. On the island of Tasmania, Marnie meets the famous Tasmanian Devil and keeper Jono Thomas. Andy Flies from the University of Tasmania explains how the devil is evolving in real-time in response to a health crisis. So what might the invasive species in Bart’s backyard look like over the next 100 years? We’ll find out, with a little bit of help from palaeontologist Matt McCurry and millions of murderous toads. Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Editor: Ben Motley (Photo: Wild rabbit- stock photo Credit: John Porter via Getty Images)
People in this episode
Hosts: Marnie Chesterton, Ben Motley
Guests: Sandy Ingelby, Jono Thomas, Andy Flies, Matt McCurry
Topics covered
- evolution
- invasive species
- Australian wildlife
Keywords
- Tasmanian Devil
- mammal collection
- health crisis
- evolution prediction
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Australia, Europe, Tasmania
More episodes of CrowdScience
- Why does paper fold so well? · June 12, 2026 · 26 min
- Do plants have personalities? · June 5, 2026 · 29 min
- What's the deal with tongues? · May 29, 2026 · 26 min
- Why am I an introvert? · May 22, 2026 · 26 min
- Why do we itch? · May 15, 2026 · 26 min
- How come sea levels are rising faster in some places than others? · May 8, 2026 · 31 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the CrowdScience podcast page.