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[BONUS] Fairy tale evolution and the 400(ish) year old elusive Greenland shark: Tiny Show and Tell Us #53

August 12, 2026 · 31 min

Show notes

In this episode of Tiny Show and Tell Us, we explore how scientists are using evolutionary methods to reconstruct the history of folktales like Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, and Jack and the Beanstalk. Then guest Matt Gabriele, professor of medieval studies and host of the podcast American Medieval, shares his fascination with Greenland sharks, leading us into the science of radiocarbon dating, longevity genetics, and the ongoing debate over whether these elusive deep-sea predators truly live for 400 years or more.

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A transcript and references for this episode can be found at acs.org/tinymatters.

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