2. Of Meowth and Men: Artificial Selection

Adapt or Die! The Evolutionary Biology of Pop Culture

Episode Description:
Welcome to this brand new episode of Adapt or Die! The evolutionary biology of pop culture hosted by Austin Ashbaugh. The current cultural phenomenon we are discussing this season is Pokémon and todays episode is focused on the normal type. Our evolutionary connection to the normal type is artificial selection. In the Safari Zone, I get into examples of artificial selection with Zigzagoon and Meowth providing excellent case studies. During the pokémon professors rant I appropriately rant about how Furfrou was a terrible idea to show paegentry and Pidove was robbed. Lastly, we will end todays episode with describing a regional variant of Budew with a Tyrogue like evolution chain and results from our latest pokémon spectacular competition. Sit back and relax in a chair older than yourself, open an old dusty tome, and join me as we adapt or die!
Link to Google Slides of Pokémon discussed in this episode
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Song credits: Music by Gregor Quendel from Pixabay
Logo design: Austin Ashbaugh, Chase Ashbaugh, Xander Allen
Resources cited for research in this episode:
1. Secord, J. A. (1981). Nature's fancy: Charles Darwin and the breeding of pigeons. _Isis_, _72_(2), 163-186.
2. Shapiro, B. (2017). Pathways to de‐extinction: how close can we get to resurrection of an extinct species?. _Functional Ecology_, _31_(5), 996-1002.
3. Sinding, M. H. S., & Gilbert, M. T. P. (2016). The draft genome of extinct European aurochs and its implications for de-extinction. _Open Quaternary_, _2_, 7-7.
4. Sol, D. (2008). Artificial selection, naturalization, and fitness: Darwin's pigeons revisited. _Biological Journal of the Linnean Society_, _93_(4), 657-665.
5. https://evolution.berkeley.edu/lines-of-evidence/artificial-selection/
6. https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Artificial_Pok%C3%A9mon
7. https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemonconspiracies/comments/axagi7/the_galar_region_is_based_in_norse_and/
8. https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-sm/052.shtml
9. https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/meowth/#
10. https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/obstagoon/
11. https://www.serebii.net/pokedex-swsh/zigzagoon/

Chapter

1. Episode summary (00:00:00)

2. Introduction + Safari Zone (00:01:07)

3. Pokémon Professor's Rant: Pidove was robbed (00:17:47)

4. A Wild Pokémon appeared! (00:25:35)

5. Pokémon Contest Spectactular (00:31:02)

6. Conclusion (00:39:22)