How Weasels Got Skinny

Weasels have an extreme body plan that may push the boundaries of what’s metabolically possible. So when and how did this happen? Why'd the weasels get so skinny?

Thanks to these paleoartists for allowing us to use their incredible work in this episode!

Super special thanks to the following Patreon patrons for helping make Eons possible:

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[PonyusTheWolfdude]

I'm looking forward to "How Wolverine got Swole" and "Origins of Wet Otters"!

[Devin_Stromgren]

Thus are the origins of Buck, the little mink that lives in my house every winter, massacres all the mice that try to move in, and bumps my ankle to ask for dog food when prey gets scarce.

[matthiasmorse]

"skinnymorph, " "musclimorph, " and "aquamorph": three of the most adorable and hilarious scientific classifications for the most adorable and hilarious mammals on earth.

[dean]

Now this is the kind of recognition I want after months of hitting the gym

[melvinshine]

Don't let the cuteness fool you, all mustelids are some kind of crazy, not just honey badgers and wolverines.

[qtip]

Can you do an episode on pangolins? I’m curious on how they got their scales

[FosterBaba]

I love how a single fossil can mess up a whole theorized timeline lol. It’s like watching live science updates

[MimesAgainstHunmanity]

For a while there I thought eons would weasel out of doing a mustelid video. I otter give them more credit. This was a great video and gave me a lot to mink about.

[veggieboyultimate]

It’s like one mustelid decided to fit through a small hole and came out all long and skinny, like you see in cartoons.

[salt-emoji]

It is truly saddening just the sheer number of things we'll never know existed.. but also just mind boggling, considering how many different species we've discovered from the fossil record already.

[joshuafrederick]

Hi Eons team, just wanted to say I love these videos (I’ve watched at Least 95% of them). As an indigenous person, I really appreciate the moment that was taken in this video to bring visibility/awareness to the tribes affiliated with the areas the fossils were from. Wāēwāēnen (Thank you).
Also there is a comment on here that asks for a video to be about the Sturgeon. This would be pretty cool to see especially for me because the sturgeon is one of the oldest sacred animals to my tribe (Menominee) we are the original/first people in Wisconsin/U.P. Michigan.

[bellahawthorn]

I like to imagine you guys hanging around writing this episode, and you’re all like “yeah, this is going well, I think we’re almost done” and then someone just stops and goes “hold on, new weasel just dropped”

[Evan-rjxy]

I will never get used to not hearing Steve's name at the end of these videos. I hope they're doing well

[AnOtterNamedMoMo]

So when are we getting a video about otters? Cause... I need that in my life.

[chrisellingson]

I raised and keep two orphaned water mongoose pups. I reckon they are noodlemorphs. Definitely my favourite animals. <3
Fun fact: In Afrikaans, the water mongoose is called a kommetjiegatmuishond; 'direct translation' being cup-arse-mouse-dog

[adamgrogory]

2:05 Hodari Nundu art? Truly this channel is the greatest

[bxb]

I can't stop saying awww while looking at these ancient long babies 🥺

[SuperTonyony]

“Homer, stop trying to weasel out of it!”
“But Marge, weaseling out of things is what separates us from the animals....except the weasels!”

[Joe__M]

It’s not often that videos include new discoveries that are found DURING the writing of the video. Great thought to have it in there!

[thelegalsystem]

Mustelids are just my absolute favorite critters on this earth 🌎 😍