Island Biogeography with Kevin Alison and John Knapp

<p>Humans have been fascinated by islands since the writing of the earliest works of literature, but the outsized role they play in our imaginations isn&#39;t limited to fiction. Islands make up only a tiny percentage of the land on earth, but they represent about a fifth of the planet&#39;s total biodiversity. </p><p>And things stranger than fiction happen on islands, from the evolution of miniature mammoths and enormous flightless birds with no fear of humans to the illumination of the theory of evolution itself. </p><p>Join me and two experts, Kevin Alison and John Knapp, as we trundle along island roads deep into the unique ecology of Santa Catalina Island and discuss giant buckwheats, tiny foxes, and what islands have to teach us about the living world back on the mainland. </p><p><strong>Links</strong>: </p><p><strong>Recommended reading</strong>: </p><p><a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-song-of-the-dodo-island-biogeography-in-an-age-of-extinctions-david-quammen/0ba47a226e69e3eb?ean=9780684827124&bkshp-astro=t"><em>Song of the Dodo</em></a> by David Quammen</p><p><a href="https://www.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/V45_N3_Islands_Fremontia-English_FINAL_web.pdf"><em>Fremontia</em></a> issue on CA Islands </p><p><strong>Ways to support the pod</strong>: </p><p>Get 15% off your order of California native seeds from the <a href="https://naturesseed.com/products/california-seeds/"><u>California Collection</u></a> by Nature’s Seed by using the code Golden15 at checkout. </p><p>Support Golden State Naturalist on<a href="https://www.patreon.com/michellefullner"> <u>⁠Patreon⁠</u></a> and get perks starting at $4/month. </p><p>Follow me on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/goldenstatenaturalist/"> <u>⁠Instagram⁠</u></a>. </p><p>My website is<a href="https://www.goldenstatenaturalist.com/"> <u>⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠</u></a>. </p><p>Get podcast <a href="https://www.bonfire.com/store/golden-state-naturalist/"><u>Merch</u></a>.</p><p><strong>Sources</strong>: </p><p>Penglai: <a href="https://www.npm.gov.tw/Exhibition-Content.aspx?sno=04010138&l=2"><u>https://www.npm.gov.tw/Exhibition-Content.aspx?sno=04010138&amp;l=2</u></a> </p><p>Island landmass: <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1306309110"><u>https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1306309110</u></a> </p><p>Island biodiversity: <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8556160/"><u>https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8556160/</u></a> </p><p>Plant endemism on islands: <a href="https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10565488"><u>https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10565488</u></a> </p><p>Global extinctions on islands and success of invasive species removal: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-14982-5"><u>https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-14982-5</u></a> </p><p>Bird extinctions: <a href="https://datazone.birdlife.org/articles/many-bird-species-have-already-gone-extinct"><u>https://datazone.birdlife.org/articles/many-bird-species-have-already-gone-extinct</u></a> </p><p>Island role in biological and linguistic diversity: <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274380594_The_Importance_of_Islands_for_the_Protection_of_Biological_and_Linguistic_Diversity"><u>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274380594_The_Importance_of_Islands_for_the_Protection_of_Biological_and_Linguistic_Diversity</u></a> </p><p>House cat origins: <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/28/science/domestic-cats-origins-ancient-dna"><u>https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/28/science/domestic-cats-origins-ancient-dna</u></a> </p><p><strong>Miscellany</strong>:</p><p>The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found<a href="https://ccmixter.org/files/grapes/16626"> <u>⁠here⁠</u></a>.</p><p>Episode cover photo by Michelle Fullner</p>