The 'Perfect' Specimen

What's been our favourite specimen?

A lost episode, a look back at 113 specimens, and more gold envelopes than ever before. Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week Josh and Natali

Was Darwin perfect?

We discover how a downcast Charles Darwin discovered a chunky rat, there is also a problematic fossil jigsaw, and the dinosaur that became a bird. Join us for another e

Are homosexual black swans more successful at raising chicks?

Happy Pride Month from The 'Perfect' Specimen where we're celebrating all things queer in the collection. Get ready for swan throuples, a dual-sex grackle and poetry abou

The whale that inspired a BTS song

How did a whale inspire a BTS song, and why is it lonely? Is being an endling really the end? Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week Josh and

Finding this alive is like finding a plesiosaur in your bathtub

What is the real Megalodon, what have flies ever done for us and what can't help spreading diseases, aside from toddlers? Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Spe

Are unicorns real and can trees walk?

Unicorns, walking trees and a frog with a surprising link to Guinness beer!Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen. This week Josh and Natalie are joined by

This beetle can survive being run over by a car!

Chainmail snails, uncrushable beetles and a secret space mission manned by moss piglets? Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week Josh and Natal

Natalie tells us why kangaroos are actually terrible mothers

Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week's word is 'friendly'. Josh and special guest, Dr Gavin Broad bring along their parasitic pals. Meanwhile

Josh quizzes us on the colours of nature

Natalie finds a use for her collection of toy frogs and Josh very carefully takes a look inside a 200 year old book! Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specim

Did witches ride broomsticks? Our guest explains why we might think so

Why would an insect gather a lethal pesticide and an analysis of how flat a flatworm is, are just two of the topics from this weeks episode. Join us for another episode

Why can no-one remember the time they used fish as candles?

Is it fat catfish or fatcat fish? Josh and Natalie debate the important issues in this episode, and do not go down any rabbit holes... With two of the specimens, stories

Natalie finds herself doing an impression of a pufferfish

Josh brings the podcast's first mineral specimen and our second guest shares a look at some very special books. Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, t

Josh debunks the myth of ancient cyclopses

Josh weighs up the benefits of giant swans and miniature elephants, whilst Natalie is salivating over one plant that produces many vegetables. Join us for another episo

Natalie is not allowed to pick up our most delicate specimen yet

Josh and Natalie have gifts for each other and we learn how competitive carving radishes can be. Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week Josh a

Josh would rather have a cough than a salamander smoothie

Josh brings a specimen that started life in a car park, and Natalie isn't being rude when she talks about big noses. Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specim

Our first guest brings a powderpuff with wings

We welcome our first guest to discuss their perfect specimen, Josh brings a very unique fossil and we take a look at some fascinating flies. Join us for another episode

What's beautiful and smells like vomit?

This is our thirteenth episode. Are we lucky, or unlucky to have got this far? Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week Josh and Natalie have br

Josh says don't research ostrich penises

For our Halloween special, Natalie possibly has the wrong crab and Josh has brought our oldest specimen (if you don't count fossils) - but they have both dressed for the

How loud is that penis?

Natalie shares an unusual world record, and Josh tries to get his head around shrimp claw physics. Join us for another episode of The 'Perfect' Specimen, this week Josh

Natalie gets schooled on tentacles

What's been the best specimen so far? How do Josh and Natalie choose their specimens? And are we being biased towards mammals? Join us for another episode of The 'Perfe