
Origin Stories, hosted by Meredith Johnson for The Leakey Foundation, explores human evolution through narrative science storytelling. The show has 94 episodes, released roughly every six weeks, with a median length of about 33 minutes. Estimated downloads per episode are 5,000 to 25,000 (estimated), implying a sponsorship rate of about $90 to $630 per episode. Distinctive detail: a 4.9 Apple Podcasts rating from 522 ratings.
Science storytelling with a 4.9 rating and a nonprofit-backed audience
- 522 Apple Podcasts ratings average 4.9 stars, a strong signal of listener loyalty.
- Episodes run about 33 minutes, leaving room for a host-read mid-roll.
- Topics like diet, clothing, and hair connect naturally to consumer categories.
Brand fit report
Content
- Formats
- narrative, interview, documentary-style feature
- Tone
- curious, authoritative
- Language
- English
- Production
- Studio production
- Typical length
- 30 to 45 minutes
Audience
Commercial
- Brands seen
- None yet
- Categories promoted
- None yet
- Affiliate links
- No
No sponsor mentions found in the feed; the show is published by The Leakey Foundation, a nonprofit, with no funding links listed.
Suitability GARM Brand Safety Floor + Suitability
Family friendly
Episode titles cover diet, clothing, hair, and fatherhood in an evolutionary science context with no explicit flags.
We classify content, never people. No age, gender, ethnicity, religion or political views are inferred about the creator. Audience figures are estimates unless marked verified. Creators can correct anything on their profile.
Where to listen
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Website | www.leakeyfoundation.org/originstories |
| Apple Podcasts | podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id982555930 |
| RSS feed | originstories.libsyn.com/rss |
Benchmark score: 65 / 100
Public rule, same for everyone. How it works.
Recent episodes
| Episode | Date | Length |
|---|---|---|
| What Should We Eat? Evolution, Diet, and Health | 2026-09-29 | 31 min |
| The Not So Naked Ape: The Origins of Clothing | 2026-07-28 | 39 min |
| Biruté Mary Galdikas - A Life Among Orangutans | 2026-03-31 | 31 min |
| Top Human Origins Discoveries of 2025 | 2025-12-31 | 42 min |
| Origin Stories x The Science Podcast | 2025-09-05 | 38 min |
| Can a Human Outrun a Horse? | 2025-08-06 | 39 min |
Last six episodes from the show's feed, latest 20 days ago, a new one about every 43 days.
Explore human evolution one story at a time. This award-winning show blends storytelling with science that will change your understanding of who we are.
About Origin Stories
Origin Stories is a science podcast from The Leakey Foundation, hosted by Meredith Johnson, that explores human evolution one story at a time. According to the show feed and its website, episodes blend storytelling with research on topics such as diet, clothing, Neanderthals, and fatherhood. The show has 94 episodes, updated about every six weeks, with a median episode length of roughly 33 minutes.
Apple Podcasts lists 522 ratings with a 4.9 average, which places the show in a mid-sized listener bracket. Listener figures are estimates: we estimate 5,000 to 25,000 downloads per episode based on these ratings and the show's age. The feed shows no named sponsors and no funding links.
The show suits education, science, outdoor, and nutrition brands seeking a credible, older-skewing audience. A host-read mid-roll is estimated at $90 to $630 per episode.
Written from the show's public RSS feed, its Podcast Index listing and episode titles. Numbers updated 2026-10-19. Origin Stories can edit or remove this page at any time.
Questions about Origin Stories
How much does Origin Stories charge for a podcast sponsorship?
Estimated mid-roll host-read rates are about $90 to $630 per episode, based on estimated downloads of 5,000 to 25,000 per episode at $18 to $25 per 1,000.
What is Origin Stories about?
Origin Stories is a science podcast that explores human evolution through storytelling, covering topics like diet, Neanderthals, clothing, and early human behavior.
How do I contact Origin Stories about sponsoring an episode?
The show's contact email unlocks on Starbooked for $0.80, and boosted shows can be booked through Starbooked.
Similar creators
Podcast and other creators in human evolution, ranked by score.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Story Colliderpodcast | science storytellingpersonal essays | 15k | – | $90–620 | 96 |
Terrestrialspodcast · US | kids and familynature and animals | 50k | – | $360–2000 | 91 |
| botanynatural sciences | 5k | – | $40–200 | 58 | |
Weather Geekspodcast | weatherclimate science | 15k | – | $90–620 | 29 |
Mogo@mogoyoutube | ancient humansprehistory | 3k | 1.2k | $150–250 | 81 |
Gorham's Cave Gibraltar@gorhamscavegibraltar4527 | neanderthal researcharchaeology lectures | 4k | 3.6k | $150–250 | 51 |