Hey there, friends, and welcome to episode 286 of just the zoo of us. This week, I am joined by

an evolutionary biologist and herpetologist for a look through the magnifying glass at

miniaturized animals. Our guest studies species who have shrunk down to incredibly small sizes,

like frogs and chameleons who could gather on the tip of your finger.

And he has some fascinating insights into why and how animals get so darn itty-bitty.

And what could be stopping them from getting any itty-bidder?

We discuss silliness in scientific names, assuming a spherical frog in a vacuum,

chameleons called bee nana, whether jawbones spark joy, how many brain cells you really even need

anyway, and so much more. Despite the tiny scale of the subject matter, we cover a lot of ground

in this conversation, and I think you're really going to like it. Just the Zoo of Us presents a review of the subject matter. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation, and I think you're

really going to like it. Just the Zoo of Us presents a review of the animal kingdom in miniature

with Dr. Mark D. Shirts. I'm.. Hello, everybody. This is Ellen Weatherford with Just the Zoo of Us, your favorite animal review podcast.

I'm so excited this week to have a brand new friend here to talk about some of the little guys, some of the

tiny little friends that might sneak past you unnoticed, but let's take a magnifying

glass down to the forest floor and check out the little guys. This is Dr. Mark D. Shirts. Say

Hi, Mark. Hi, Mark. It's every time. It's every time. It's every time.

I need to stop.

I need to come up with a better way.

No, I think it's perfectly adequate.

It's those of us who are long-time listeners of various podcasts who are familiar with this

particular opening.

I need to stop painting a giant Looney Tunes target on my chest right at the beginning

...