The Backpacker's Guide To Prehistory

Mar 27 2022 14 ep. 30 mins 86

The Backpacker's Guide To Prehistory Podcast artwork

The podcast that provides top travel tips for time travellers. Each episode host David Mountain will be asking experts in palaeobiology about the most interesting, exciting and important aspects of prehistory.

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S2 E6: The Jurassic

Mar 27 2022 30 mins

Pack your raincoat, because this week we're heading to a very stormy Jurassic. As the only geological period with bona fide movie star status, the Jurassic is full of prehistoric celebrities, from the first birds and mammals to - of course - the dinosaurs. But what should you wear? And where should you visit?Fortunately, Dr Evelyn Kustatscher of the South Tyrol Museum of Nature (ht

S2 E5: The Silurian

Mar 13 2022 35 mins

Love warm, sandy beaches? Tropical azure seas? Metre-long sea scorpions? Then the Silurian is the backpacking destination for you! Join host David Mountain as he scuba dives through the Silurian period, the hidden gem of the Palaeozoic. Lasting from 444 to 419 million years again, this stretch of time sees the emergence of jawed fish, terrestrial arthropods, vascular plants and muc

S2 E4: The Neogene

Feb 27 2022 37 mins

Wide open skies, grand horizons and the promise of adventure: the Neogene has it all. Join host David Mountain as he explores the varied environments of this time period and the plants and animals that made them up. You might even come face-to-face with your own ancestors in the plains of East Africa!*Providing valuable travel tips are two Neogene experts: Dr Aly Baumgartner, a pal

S2 E3: The Palaeogene

Feb 13 2022 36 mins

Join host David Mountain as he ventures into the tropical world of the Palaeogene, 66-23 million years ago. If you’re looking for volatile climates, volcanic activity and some of the most remarkable mammals to have ever walked the Earth, then the Palaeogene could be the perfect getaway!Providing the travel advice are two Palaeogene experts: Dr Monica Carvalho, a palaeobotanist wi

S2 E2: The Ordovician

Jan 30 2022 31 mins

For this episode of The Backpacker’s Guide To Prehistory, host David Mountain is setting his time machine for the distant Ordovician period, 485-444 million years ago. Dive into oceans teeming with long-lost wildlife, from trilobites to orthocones to the nightmarish conodonts.Providing some much-needed travel tips are Dr Lucy McCobb, a palaeontologist at the National Museum Cardi

S2 E1: The Carboniferous

Jan 16 2022 35 mins

For the first episode of The Backpacker's Guide To Prehistory season two, host David Mountain travels back to the Carboniferous period, 359-299 million years ago. In this weird world of giant horsetails and monster arthropods, what creatures should you look out for? What clothes should you pack? And is it really such a good idea to light a campfire? Providing the answers are two Ca

The Backpacker's Guide To Prehistory: Season 2 trailer

Jan 03 2022 1 mins

The backpack is back!The 17th January 2022 sees the long-awaited/half-forgotten return of The Backpacker's Guide To Prehistory - the podcast that provides top travel tips for time travellers. Across six brand new episodes, host David Mountain will be asking experts in palaeobiology about the most important, interesting and exciting aspects of our planet's past. Stay tuned for more!

S1 E6: The Pleistocene

Jul 11 2021 37 mins

For the season finale of The Backpacker's Guide To Prehistory, host David Mountain ventures into the Pleistocene, a time of woolly mammoths, sabretooth cats and some pretty unpleasant wombattitude. From the barren wastes of the northern tundra to the treacherous woodlands of Ice Age Australia, discover the dos and don'ts (and the don't-even-think-about-its) of Pleistocene travel.Pr

S1 E5: The Triassic

Jun 27 2021 33 mins

Gather round the campfire as host David Mountain prepares for an adventure through the Triassic, the Jurassic's older, cooler brother. If you can avoid being eaten by giant reptiles, falling into enormous dung beds and getting stuck in a two-million-year-long rainstorm, then the Triassic might just be the trip of your lifetime!Providing some much-needed travel advice are Dr Emma Du

S1 E4: The Cambrian

Jun 13 2021 34 mins

Set your time machines for the dawn of the Phanerozoic! In this episode host David Mountain travels all the way back to the Cambrian period and dives into an unrecognisable world of bizarre creatures and treacherous environments.Helping to make sense of the oddest period in prehistory are Dr Martin Smith, a palaeontologist at Durham University (https://www.dur.ac.uk/directory/profi