The Replacements

Shane explores the surprising science and unexpected histories of “The Replacements”: five animal and plant species that made allies of humans, grew to dominate the planet alongside us, and changed their destinies (and our own) forever.

Despite their abundance, scientists know close to nothing about what cats are doing in the wild, or what their impact might be. Dr. Roland Kays plan? Track cats the way we’ve tracked other large predators – by fitting them with GPS enabled collars.

Shane follows geneticist Sarah Hearne into a vault of over 28,000 species of maize that has weaved itself into the fabric of Mexico's past, present and future. But in the last century, just a handful of varieties have come to dominate global corn production. What happened?

Shane shares a meal with local Mexican chefs committed to reviving the sacred heritage of maize and preserving culture through corn.