Brian Switek: How did bones evolve?

Brian Switek, the pen name of science writer and fossil fanatic Riley Black. This year she released a book called The Secret Life of Bones: Their Origins, Evolution and Fate (£9.99, Duckworth), which as well as explaining how and why we evolved bones, explains the relationship us humans have with these sturdy struts of osseous tissue.

In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, she helpfully explains what a bone is and how they turn into fossils, as well as how they revealed Richard III’s diet, were historically used to justify scientific racism, and why Hollywood is getting aliens all wrong.

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Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:

• Bill Bryson: What should we know about how our bodies work?
• Gaia Vince: What part does culture play in our evolution?
• Angela Saini: Is racism creeping into science?
• Neil Gemmell: The genetic hunt for the Loch Ness Monster
• Nathan Lents: Everything that's wrong with the human body
• Steve Brusatte: The truth about dinosaurs

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