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Episode Sources:

⇢Runge, Michael C., et al. “A Quantitative Threats Analysis for the Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris).” U.S.G.S. Publications Warehouse Open-File Report, 2007, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20071086.

⇢Deutsch, Charles J., et al. “Movement Behavior of Manatees and Dugongs: I. Environmental Challenges Drive Diversity in Migratory Patterns and Other Large-Scale Movements.” Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals, 2022, pp. 155–231, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90742-6_5.

⇢Anderson, Paul K, and Daryl P Domning. “Steller’s Sea Cow.” Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals (Second Edition), 1 Jan. 2009, pp. 1103–1106, https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-373553-9.00252-2.

⇢Nate Seltenrich. “Who Was Georg Steller and Why Are Animals Named after Him?” Bay Nature, 25 Sept. 2017, baynature.org/magazine/fall2017/steller-man-behind-name/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

⇢Cleveland Clinic. “Placenta: Overview, Anatomy, Function & Complications.” Cleveland Clinic, 4 Feb. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22337-placenta.

⇢Waters, Paul D., et al. “Evolutionary History of LINE-1 in the Major Clades of Placental Mammals.” PLoS ONE, vol. 2, no. 1, 17 Jan. 2007, p. e158, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0000158. Accessed 20 Nov. 2019.

⇢Murphy, W. J. “Resolution of the Early Placental Mammal Radiation Using Bayesian Phylogenetics.” Science, vol. 294, no. 5550, 14 Dec. 2001, pp. 2348–2351, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1067179.

⇢Nyakatura, Katrin, and Olaf RP Bininda-Emonds. “Updating the Evolutionary History of Carnivora (Mammalia): A New Species-Level Supertree Complete with Divergence Time Estimates.” BMC Biology, vol. 10, no. 1, 27 Feb. 2012, https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7007-10-12.

⇢Springer, M. S., et al. “Placental Mammal Diversification and the Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 100, no. 3, 27 Jan. 2003, pp. 1056–1061, pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bb9a/8af649f2cbb7c62b8ad2086b7d988c802197.pdf, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0334222100.

⇢Berta, Annalisa, et al. The Rise of Marine Mammals : 50 Million Years of Evolution. Baltimore, Maryland, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017.

⇢Thewissen, J. G. M., et al. “Whales Originated from Aquatic Artiodactyls in the Eocene Epoch of India.” Nature, vol. 450, no. 7173, Dec. 2007, pp. 1190–1194, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06343.

⇢Houssaye, Alexandra, et al. “Transition of Eocene Whales from Land to Sea: Evidence from Bone Microstructure.” PLOS ONE, vol. 10, no. 2, 25 Feb. 2015, p. e0118409, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0118409. Accessed 7 Nov. 2020.

⇢Wang, Zhengfei, et al. “Evolution of Digestive Enzymes and RNASE1 Provides Insights into Dietary Switch of Cetaceans.” Molecular Biology and Evolution, vol. 33, no. 12, 1 Dec. 2016, pp. 3144–3157, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5100049/, https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msw191. Accessed 11 Apr. 2021.

⇢Parker, Pamela, and John M. Maniscalco. “A Long-Term Study Reveals Multiple Reproductive Behavior Strategies among Territorial Adult Male Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias Jubatus).” Canadian Journal of Zoology, vol. 92, no. 5, May 2014, pp. 405–415, https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2013-0099.

⇢“Sea Lion.” Indianapolis Zoo, 14 Oct. 2024, www.indianapoliszoo.com/animals/sea-lion/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

⇢PÖRSCHMANN, ULRICH, et al. “Male Reproductive Success and Its Behavioural Correlates in a Polygynous Mammal, the Galápagos Sea Lion (Zalophus Wollebaeki).” Molecular Ecology, May 2010, p. no-no, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04665.x.

⇢Mathisen, O. A., et al. “Breeding Habits, Growth and Stomach Contents of the Steller Sea Lion in Alaska.” Journal of Mammalogy, vol. 43, no. 4, 7 Dec. 1962, pp. 469–477, https://doi.org/10.2307/1376909. Accessed 2 Sept. 2020.

⇢Green, John. Everything Is Tuberculosis. Penguin Group, 18 Mar. 2025.

⇢Ailin Sosa Drouville, et al. “The Knowledge of Tuberculosis in Pinnipeds.” Mammal Review, 21 July 2025, https://doi.org/10.1111/mam.70012. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.

⇢Kannan, Lavanya, and Ward C Wheeler. “Maximum Parsimony on Phylogenetic Networks.” Algorithms for Molecular Biology, vol. 7, no. 1, 2 May 2012, https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-7188-7-9.

⇢Peredo, Carlos Mauricio, et al. “Decoupling Tooth Loss from the Evolution of Baleen in Whales.” Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 4, 13 Mar. 2017, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00067.

⇢Mammalogy, Marine. “Society for Marine Mammalogy.” Society for Marine Mammalogy, 16 Sept. 2025, web.archive.org/web/20251230043527/marinemammalscience.org/science-and-publications/list-marine-mammal-species-subspecies/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

⇢Alves, Filipe, et al. “Beaked Whale Sexual Dimorphism, Mating Strategies, and Diversification.” Springer EBooks, 1 Jan. 2023, pp. 385–413, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_17.

⇢Page, Charlotte E., and Natalie Cooper. “Morphological Convergence in “River Dolphin” Skulls.” PeerJ, vol. 5, 21 Nov. 2017, p. e4090, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4090.

⇢Ryan, Conor, et al. “Morphology of Nares Associated with Stereo-Olfaction in Baleen Whales.” Biology Letters, vol. 20, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0479. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

⇢Goldbogen, J. A., et al. “Mechanics, Hydrodynamics and Energetics of Blue Whale Lunge Feeding: Efficiency Dependence on Krill Density.” Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 214, no. 1, 8 Dec. 2010, pp. 131–146, https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.048157.

Image Sources:

⇢Eat Dirt Gray Whale Sticker: Copyright BlueTide Project, used with written permission

⇢Airboat photo: “Mangrove Tunnel Airboat Tour - Captain Jack’s Airboat Tours.” Captain Jack’s Airboat Tours, 23 Dec. 2025, www.captainjacksairboattours.com/airboat-tours/mangrove-airboat-tour/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

⇢Manatee vs Dugong graphic: Davila, Cesar Medina. “12 Fascinating Dugong Facts | Secrets of the Ocean’s Gentle Giant.” Wildlife Nomads, 17 Oct. 2025, www.wildlifenomads.com/blog/dugong-facts/.

⇢Wilhelm Steller portrait: “The People behind the Birds Named for People: Georg Wilhelm Steller.” All about Birds, 24 Apr. 2018, www.allaboutbirds.org/news/the-people-behind-the-birds-named-for-people-georg-wilhelm-steller/.

⇢First vertebrate phylogenetic tree adapted from: Pascual-Anaya, Juan, et al. “Editorial: New Approaches in Chordate and Vertebrate Evolution and Development.” Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, vol. 10, 12 May 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.917101.

⇢Monophyletic simple image definition adapted from: Pightling, Arthur W., et al. “Interpreting Whole-Genome Sequence Analyses of Foodborne Bacteria for Regulatory Applications and Outbreak Investigations.” Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 9, 10 July 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01482. Accessed 9 Nov. 2021.

⇢Three lineages of Mammals: Krubitzer, L, and K Campi. “Neocortical Organization in Monotremes.” Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, edited by Larry Squire, Academic Press, 2009, pp. 51–59, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/monotreme Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.

⇢Platypus development image: Sharp, Julie, et al. “The Comparative Genomics of Monotremes, Marsupials, and Pinnipeds: Models to Examine Functions of Milk Proteins.” Elsevier EBooks, 1 Jan. 2020, pp. 99–141, https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-815251-5.00003-7.

⇢Wallaby development images: Nicholas, Kevin, et al. The Tammar Wallaby: A Model to Study Putative Autocrine-Induced Changes in Milk Composition. Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia, vol. 2, no. 3, 1997, pp. 299–310, https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1026392623090.

⇢Mammalian Neonatal development figure: Renfree, Marilyn B., et al. “Evolution of Genomic Imprinting: Insights from Marsupials and Monotremes.” Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, vol. 10, no. 1, 1 Sept. 2009, pp. 241–262, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-genom-082908-150026. Accessed 23 Feb. 2022.

⇢4 lineages of placental mammals phylogenetic tree: “Palaeocast | Palaeontology Podcasts.” Palaeocast.com, 2025, www.palaeocast.com/episode-26-the-tree-of-mammals/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

⇢Ungulate Family Tree: Prothero, Donald R., et al. “On the Unnecessary and Misleading Taxon “Cetartiodactyla.”” Journal of Mammalian Evolution, vol. 29, no. 1, 15 Sept. 2021, pp. 93–97, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-021-09572-7.

⇢Marine Mammal collage: Marine Mammals.png - Wikimedia Commons.” Wikimedia.org, 26 Apr. 2025, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marine_mammals.png. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

⇢Pelvic Bone Images: Lisa Noelle Cooper, et al. “Cetacean Evolution: Copulatory and Birthing Consequences of Pelvic and Hindlimb Reduction.” Springer EBooks, 1 Jan. 2023, pp. 65–83, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_4.

⇢Alternate Bear-Weasel-Pinneped relationships: Berta, Annalisa, et al. The Rise of Marine Mammals : 50 Million Years of Evolution. Baltimore, Maryland, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017.

⇢New dolphin genus figure: Galatius, Anders, et al. “Phylogenomic, Morphological and Acoustic Data Support a Revised Taxonomy of the Lissodelphinine Dolphin Subfamily.” Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, vol. 205, 4 Feb. 2025, p. 108299, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1055790325000168, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108299.

⇢Aetiocetus illustration: C. Buell in Deméré, Thomas A., et al. “Morphological and Molecular Evidence for a Stepwise Evolutionary Transition from Teeth to Baleen in Mysticete Whales.” Systematic Biology, vol. 57, no. 1, 1 Feb. 2008, pp. 15–37, https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150701884632.

⇢Sperm whale illustration: Remili, Anaïs. “Kogia: Dwarf and Pygmy Sperm Whales – November 2021.” Whale Scientists, 4 Nov. 2021, whalescientists.com/kogia-november-2021/.

⇢Beaked whale poster: Illustration by Uko Gorter on NOAA Fisheries. “Killer Whale and Beaked Whale Posters.” NOAA, 2024, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/outreach-and-education/killer-whale-and-beaked-whale-posters

⇢Blackfish graphic: Visceral. ““Protect Our Species” This Earth Day.” Pacific Whale Foundation, 17 Apr. 2019, pacificwhale.org/protect-our-species-this-earth-day/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.

⇢Species of toothed whale graphic adapted from: Hooker, Sascha K., and Andreas Fahlman. “Studying Dolphin Physiology.” The Physiology of Dolphins, 2024, pp. 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-90516-9.00014-2. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

⇢River dolphin vs oceanic dolphin figure adapted from: “River Dolphins and Ocean Dolphins.” Education.nationalgeographic.org, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/river-dolphins-ocean-dolphins/.

⇢Narwhal photo: NOAA Fisheries. “Narwhal | NOAA Fisheries.” NOAA, 30 Dec. 2019, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/narwhal.

⇢Phylogenetic tree showing the loss of taste and smell in cetaceans: Kishida, Takushi, et al. “Aquatic Adaptation and the Evolution of Smell and Taste in Whales.” Zoological Letters, vol. 1, no. 1, 13 Feb. 2015, zoologicalletters.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40851-014-0002-z, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40851-014-0002-z. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.