55-million-year-old fossil bird reveals how trogons evolved their unusual feet; reversed toe came before the big toe shrank

55-million-year-old fossil bird reveals how trogons evolved their unusual feet; reversed toe came before the big toe shrank

PC: Journal of Systematic Palaeontology A fossil bird from Denmark is helping researchers understand how the unusual feet of modern trogons evolved. The fossil belongs to a species called Daniatrogon kochi, which lived about 55 million years ago during the Early Eocene. Researchers found the fossil in 1989 on the Danish island of Mors in … Read more

Indian-origin woman robbed of $20,000 worth of jewelry during evening walk in Canada, stranger lady touched her feet, hugged, swapped gold necklace with fake in seconds

Indian-origin woman robbed of $20,000 worth of jewelry during evening walk in Canada, stranger lady touched her feet, hugged, swapped gold necklace with fake in seconds

78-year-old Indian woman was robbed of her gold jewelry during her evening walk in Brampton, Canada. (Photo: CTV News) A 78-year-old Indian-origin woman was the target of a daring robbery in Brampton, Canada, when she was on her evening walk in the neighborhood. Her son Raghavendra Kumar told the police that his mother does not … Read more

A man using a metal detector near a Finnish village finds more than 4,000 Viking Age silver coins in two birch-bark containers buried 39 feet apart

A man using a metal detector near a Finnish village finds more than 4,000 Viking Age silver coins in two birch-bark containers buried 39 feet apart

Image: Esko Tikkala/Lahti Museums A Finnish metal detectorist has uncovered what is believed to be the country’s largest known Viking Age silver coin hoard after finding thousands of ancient coins near the village centre of Sysmä. Kalle Lappinen discovered the hoard on September 3, 2026, and reported the find to authorities, allowing archaeologists from Lahti … Read more

In 2024, California removed an 18-foot dam from Neefus Gulch and restored 1,600 feet of stream; by January 2026, 8 spawning nests were recorded above barriers salmon had been unable to pass for 70+ years

In 2024, California removed an 18-foot dam from Neefus Gulch and restored 1,600 feet of stream; by January 2026, 8 spawning nests were recorded above barriers salmon had been unable to pass for 70+ years

In 2024, California removed an 18-foot dam from Neefus Gulch and restored 1,600 feet of stream, reopening habitat that salmon had been unable to reach for more than seven decades. By January 2026, surveys recorded eight spawning nests, known as redds, in the newly accessible reaches above the former barrier, a sign that endangered Central … Read more

In 2002, concrete rubble from Baltimore’s demolished Memorial Stadium was reused in a Maryland living shoreline; the project restored 400 feet of coast and created two acres of tidal wetlands

In 2002, concrete rubble from Baltimore’s demolished Memorial Stadium was reused in a Maryland living shoreline; the project restored 400 feet of coast and created two acres of tidal wetlands

Restored living shoreline along the Chesapeake Bay. Source: Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center Tons of crushed concrete from Baltimore’s former Memorial Stadium are getting a second life as the foundation for a growing coastal ecosystem along the Chesapeake Bay. In 2002, environmental engineers placed thousands of cubic yards of clean stadium rubble along the shores of … Read more

In 2024, New York turned 250 discarded Christmas trees into nearly 600 feet of breakwaters; by fall, the trees were trapping sediment around a restored salt marsh

In 2024, New York turned 250 discarded Christmas trees into nearly 600 feet of breakwaters; by fall, the trees were trapping sediment around a restored salt marsh

What looked like holiday waste ended up helping rebuild a fragile salt marsh at Jamaica Bay, where the trees were turned into nearly 600 feet of natural breakwaters. In 2024, 250 discarded Christmas trees were repurposed into nearly 600 linear feet of natural breakwaters at New York’s Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, helping protect newly planted … Read more

A former fuel-tank farm beside an Alaska national park visitor center has been erased; a young conservation crew restored 15,000 square yards of landscape and built 500 feet of new trail

A former fuel-tank farm beside an Alaska national park visitor center has been erased; a young conservation crew restored 15,000 square yards of landscape and built 500 feet of new trail

The project also created about 500 feet of new pedestrian trail, connecting the visitor center with the Lakeview Tinitun trail and the broader trail network. What was once a utilitarian patch of ground beside an Alaska visitor center is now becoming part of the landscape again. At Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, a young … Read more

In 1895, lightning ignited a massive West Virginia gas well, sending flames 200 feet into the sky as crowds gathered to witness one of America’s most extraordinary fires

In 1895, lightning ignited a massive West Virginia gas well, sending flames 200 feet into the sky as crowds gathered to witness one of America’s most extraordinary fires

Lightning ignited a massive West Virginia gas well, sending flames 200 feet into the sky (Image Credit: West Virginia Explorer) In 1895, a lightning strike turned an already uncontrollable natural gas well in West Virginia into a spectacular column of fire. The Big Moses gas well, located along Indian Creek in Tyler County, had become … Read more

Meet Callum Smith: The 23-year-old armless racing driver who steers with his feet at 110mph, joins Team BRIT alongside quadruple amputee Harvey Phillips and targets a historic Le Mans debut

Meet Callum Smith: The 23-year-old armless racing driver who steers with his feet at 110mph, joins Team BRIT alongside quadruple amputee Harvey Phillips and targets a historic Le Mans debut

Callum Smith has joined Team BRIT alongside quadruple amputee Harvey Phillips. (Photo: SWNS) Callum Smith has never let the absence of arms stand between him and his passion for motorsport. The 23-year-old from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was born without arms but is now chasing an extraordinary dream, becoming the first armless racing driver to compete at … Read more

In 2006, a couple paid $2.4 million for a Lake George lot once tied to a 42-room mansion; 20 years later, their 6,000-sq-ft compound with 300 feet of shoreline is asking $7.99 million

In 2006, a couple paid $2.4 million for a Lake George lot once tied to a 42-room mansion; 20 years later, their 6,000-sq-ft compound with 300 feet of shoreline is asking $7.99 million

For owners whose lives revolve around boats, the property’s three-bay boathouse could be its biggest attraction. The structure can accommodate boats up to 35 feet long and includes lifts and a sundeck. On Lake George, where Adirondack mountains rise around some of New York’s clearest waters, a property built around the boating lifestyle is now … Read more