Meleagrology (TURKEYS) with Dr. Cyler Conrad
Wattles. Snoods. Struts. Vibes. It’s not November, which is exactly why we’re putting this episode out. All day every day, turkeys are out there like beanbags with stick legs. Let’s take a moment, or 90 minutes, with Archaeologist, Meleagrologist, and turkey researcher, Dr. Cyler Conrad. We’ll find out if they can fly, do they like to kiss, where did they get their audacity, turkeys versus my car door, if they can survive a rainstorm, the deep connections between Indigenous cultures and North American turkeys, creepy turkeys, alternative universes, if one can eat turkey eggs, where do they nest, what’s up with the wishbone and so many inconvenient facts that will have you questioning what you thought you knew about these so-called thunder chickens.
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Follow Dr. Conrad on Google Scholar
A donation went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Links to things we discussed:
Why turkey the bird and Turkey the country have the same name
Contextualizing Ancestral Pueblo Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo spp.) Management
Basketmaker Caves in the Prayer Rock District, Northeastern Arizona
Photos of turkeys kiss-fighting
Research delves into role of turkeys to Ancestral Pueblo peoples
PANTONE® 19-0914 TSX Fertile Soil
Basketmaker Caves in the Prayer Rock District, Northeastern Arizona
How Do Birds Stay Upright When They Are Sleeping?
Twelve Unusual and Fascinating Facts About Wild Turkeys
Genetic diversity in 10 populations of domestic Turkeys by using microsatellites markers
Bird Flu Roars Back: An Update on Thanksgiving Turkey Prices
A turkey’s wattle inspires a biosensor’s design
Biomimetic virus-based colourimetric sensors
“Turkey Cannon” aka WCS™ Net Blaster™
Video: Rocket-Netting and Banding Turkeys
Video: Wild Turkey Swimming in Lake Jocassee
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation | Turkey Cutting | Warner Bros. Entertainment
“The Meat Paradox” The Psychology of Eating Animals
The Turkey Wishbone, or Five Ways to Be a Nerd This Thanksgiving
What's The Deal With Breaking The Turkey's Wishbone?
Thanksgiving wishbone: What to know about the furcula, and how to break it
Photo of Benjamin Franklin's letter to daughter
American Myths: Benjamin Franklin’s Turkey and the Presidential Seal
Did Benjamin Franklin Want the National Bird To Be A Turkey?
When Benjamin Franklin Shocked Himself While Attempting to Electrocute a Turkey
December 23, 1750: Ben Franklin Attempts to Electrocute a Turkey
Turkey girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story
Nothing To Gobble At: Social Cognition in Turkeys
Turkey talk: The social cognition of your Thanksgiving dinner
Stupid turkeys? Scientists say that the unfairly maligned bird may actually be stuffed with smarts
Dear God, Why Are These Turkeys Circling a Dead Cat?
Why turkeys circle dead things—the creepy vigil, explained
COVID-19 is affecting Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other people of color the most.
Native American disease and epidemics
Caruncles, Breast Beards, and Snoods, Oh My! The MF Guide to Turkey Anatomy
Other episodes you may enjoy:
Chickenology (HENS & ROOSTERS)
Condorology (CONDORS & VULTURES)
Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING)
Indigenous Pedology (SOIL SCIENCE)
Experimental Archeology (OLD TOOLS/ATLATLS)
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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek
Website by Kelly R. Dwyer
Theme song by Nick Thorburn