Screens of the Stone Age

First Man (2017) is a “documentary” with an interesting relationship to scientific facts and a disturbing view of human nature. It follows human evolution through four reconstructed ancestors: an early beta cuck ape from Spain; a Tate stan basal hominin from Chad; an ancestral alpha mogger from South Africa; and a brainmaxxing sigma arsonist from China. Join us as we break down the silly walks, unnecessarily blurred monkey genitals, and (content warning!) graphic sexual assault.

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Bluesky: @sotsapodcast.bsky.social

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In this episode:

Pierolapithecus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierolapithecus

Sahelanthropus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahelanthropus

Gigantopithecus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigantopithecus

Sivapithecus/Ramapithecus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sivapithecus

Paranthropus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranthropus

Graecopithecus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graecopithecus

Peking Man (Homo erectus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peking_Man

Harbin/Dragon Man: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbin_cranium

Our episode on Skullduggery (1970): https://screensofthestoneage.com/podcast/episode-34-skullduggery-1970/

Our episode on Sasquatch Sunset (2024): https://screensofthestoneage.com/podcast/episode-106-sasquatch-sunset-2024/

Grieving chimpanzee carries dead baby for months: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj4Wk-hujPY

Zhoukoudian: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhoukoudian_Peking_Man_Site

The myth of the alpha wolf: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-alpha-wolf-idea-a-myth/

Parsimony: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_parsimony

Boma predator deterrent: https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/keeping-lions-at-bay-to-keep-them-going/

Gao et al. (2017) Evidence of hominin use and maintenance of fire at Zhoukoudian: https://doi.org/10.1086/692501

Laughter in animals: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughter_in_animals

Pusceddu et al. (2025) Animal medical systems from Apis to apes: history, recent advances and future perspectives: https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70060

Ventro-ventro position (doggy is not the only style): https://synapsida.blogspot.com/2015/12/doggy-is-not-only-style.html

Man vs. horse races (horses have won): https://ultrarunninghistory.com/man-vs-horse/

Persistence hunting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting

Aiello and Wheeler (1995) The Expensive-tissue hypothesis: The brain and the digestive system in human and primate evolution: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2744104

Wrangham (2009) Catching Fire: How Cooking Made us Human: https://heb.fas.harvard.edu/publication/catching-fire-how-cooking-made-us-human

They keep making them, so we keep reviewing them! In the Blink of an Eye (2026) tells the tragic tale of an adorably precocious child’s radicalization and eventual transformation into a billionaire tech bro who destroys the earth. It’s a triptych of past, present, and future, taking us from an endearing mixed race Neanderthal family, to Rashida Jones’ groundbreaking PhD research, to a genetically engineered sci-fi Kate McKinnon’s quest to find the next planet to destroy. It’s alright, I guess.

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Bluesky: @sotsapodcast.bsky.social

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In this episode:

Longevity-obsessed tech billionaires: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/11/health/kara-swisher-longevity-wellness

Kepler 16b: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler-16b

The ichnology of White Sands (New Mexico): Linear traces and human footprints, evidence of transport technology? https://doi.org/10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100274

RNA World: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA_world

Hairdos in prehistory: https://richlyadorned.wordpress.com/2017/01/31/hairdos-in-prehistoric-europe/

How to order authors in scientific papers: https://wordvice.com/blog/journal-article-author-order/

How to format genus/species names: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d_5jDJvYwY

Berger and Trinkaus (1995) Patterns of Trauma among the Neandertals: https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-4403(95)90013-6

The Divje Babe Flute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHXV07YCGKY

Lawnmower RC Airplane: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SuZLxMIsN6k

Neanderthals and ancient DNA: https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics/ancient-dna-and-neanderthals

Ehh, what’s up, doc? But in this case the “doc” is a PhD. Get it? Because we’re... Never mind, we’re back with more classic cartoons! As we move into the second half of the Twentieth Century the characters become more recognizable: Porky Pig, Mighty Mouse, Pink Panther, Woody Woodpecker – we ruin the fun of all these characters by trying to assess what species they are! (Oh wait, I should have said “what’s up, post-doc?”. I’ll keep workshopping it) (Part 2 of 2).

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Cartoons featured in this episode:

Springtime in the Rock Age (1940): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivk88NXvc_k

Way Back When Women had their Weigh (1940): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUcPMfEGfeI

Prehistoric Porky (1940): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK6quxW5pc0

Mighty Mouse – Prehistoric Perils (1952): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAdUiP_giPY

Peabody's Improbable History S3E17 "The First Caveman" (1961): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1r5SZElTzQ

Pink Panther – Prehistoric Pink (1968): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io5oqdC_1co

Pink Panther – Extinct Pink (1969): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y3lt2oWh_0

Prehistoric Super Salesman (1969): https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8imjrh

Other Links:

Meganeura: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meganeura

Snail tape measure: https://yarn-fun.com/products/snail-tape-measure

Black Panthers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_panther

King Cheetah: https://www.reddit.com/r/Awwducational/comments/ga8css/king_cheetahs_are_variety_of_cheetahs_with_a_rare/

What’s Opera, Doc? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9doSQ1cHAw

Bjorn Kurten’s Pleistocene Mammals of Europe: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315126470

Which big cats like catnip? https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/8td7ut/does_catnip_affect_wild_felines_the_same_way_it/

Do big cats like catnip? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEdpDl1hSz4

Oldest bows and arrows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_and_arrow#History

Strawberry leopard: https://nypost.com/2019/08/20/rare-strawberry-leopard-photographed-in-south-africa/

Woody is an Ivory Billed Woodpecker: https://ivory-billedwoodpecker1.blogspot.com/2012/03/woody-woodpecker.html

Today we’re digging deep into the Stone Age of cinema and reviewing classic cartoons about prehistoric people. From the world’s first animated dinosaur to the advent of colour film, we watched cartoons featuring Felix the Cat, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Daffy Duck, a seriously copyright-infringing couple of mice, and a disturbing amount of sexual violence. (Part 1 of 2)

Get in touch with us!

Bluesky: @sotsapodcast.bsky.social

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Cartoons featured in this episode:

Gertie the Dinosaur (1914): https://youtu.be/32pzHWUTcPc

Why they love cavemen (1921): https://youtu.be/5ikoWsHLicA

Felix in the Bone Age (1922): https://youtu.be/97V_6O3iHbE

Stone Age Stunts (1930): https://youtu.be/Ojdjl3VEnn4

The Stone Age – Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (1931): https://youtu.be/wqayvsVPnlo

Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939): https://youtu.be/X2tgbncOoMk

Other topics:

Mr. DNA’s Science Lesson – Jurassic Park: https://youtu.be/1Uq5WSzUaTQ

Microraptor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microraptor

The Invention of Prehistory (2024) by Stefanos Geroulanos: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324091455/

Anas rubripes, the American Black Duck: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_duck

Black Swedish duck: https://livestockconservancy.org/swedish-duck/

Sinclair Oil: https://www.sinclairoil.com/dino-history

Primal (2019-) is an animated series by Gendy Tartakovsky set in an alternate prehistory in which Neanderthals and dinosaurs coexist. Setting aside the anachronisms, this series has received critical acclaim for its emotional depth and unique visual storytelling format. Kim doesn’t care about that—she was too traumatized by the first episode to watch any further.

Get in touch with us!

Bluesky: @sotsapodcast.bsky.social

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In this episode:

Watch Gendy Tartakovsky’s Primal on the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/primal-s-2-e-10/Primal+S1E1.mp4

Listen to our episode on Ironmaster (1983): https://screensofthestoneage.com/podcast/episode-58-ironmaster-1983/

Platt et al. (2026) Interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans was strongly sex biased: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aea6774

Weaver and Hublin (2009) Neandertal birth canal shape and the evolution of human childbirth: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0812554106

Ceratosaurus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratosaurus

Giganotosaurus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giganotosaurus

Dinosaur colouration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur_coloration

Darwin's Acid - Baba Brinkman - Rap Guide to Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apICqy01jo4

Neanderthal fishing: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106731

Trinkaus and Villotte (2017) External auditory exostoses and hearing loss in the Shanidar 1 Neandertal: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186684

Megalania: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalania

Voay: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voay

Mekosuchus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekosuchus