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Fortean Headlines

Early human fossils found in cave are a million years older than expected​


https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/28/world/sterkfontein-cave-australopithecus-fossils-age-scn/index.html

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Fossils of early human ancestors from a South African cave are 3.4 million to 3.6 million years old – making them a million years older than previously suspected and shaking up the way researchers understand human origins and evolution.

This new date makes the Sterkfontein Cave fossils older than the famed Lucy fossil (also known as Dinkinesh) from Ethiopia. Found in 1979, Lucy represented the species Australopithecus afarensis and lived 3.2 million years ago.

The freshly dated fossils also belong to the genus Australopithecus, an ancient hominin that was initially thought to live 2 million to 2.6 million years ago. Researchers used a new technique to date the sediments of the Sterkfontein Caves, which are part of the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Johannesburg.
 

‘I would have killed someone sooner if I knew I was going to get McDonald’s’: Girl told police after sister’s death​


The rest of the article details possible mental illness.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/...lds-girl-told-police-after-sisters-death.html

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“Oooh, McDonalds. I would have killed someone sooner if I knew I was going to get McDonalds.”


That’s what 14-year-old Claire Miller said when police bought her breakfast, hours after she was accused of fatally stabbing her 19-year-old disabled sister, Helen on Feb. 22, 2021, according to John Martin, a Manheim Township police officer.
 
maximus otter said:
Man bitten by alligator at Florida motel after mistaking it for dog

A guest at a motel in Florida had a close encounter with a massive 7-feet alligator which he mistook for a dog, police said.

The 49-year-old man, who has not been identified, was attacked by the gator around midnight on Tuesday when he was taking a walk in the garden of Warm Mineral Springs Motel in Sarasota County.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alligator-bites-man-florida-motel-b2096222.html

During his midnight stroll, the man allegedly saw the alligator's silhouette running through the bushes but assumed it was a dog with a long leash, which is why he did not move out of the way, according to WFTS-TV.

The gator then approached the man, biting him on the leg and pulling on his muscle tissue, police told WFTS-TV.

When the man escaped the gator's grasp, he said he felt it rip out a chunk of his leg.

Luckily, a Sarasota County deputy was nearby the attack for a separate call when he heard the man's screams. The deputy contacted EMS and the man was taken to a nearby hospital but has since been released.

A sergeant was able to capture the alligator which was removed from the scene by an alligator trapper. The FWC said the gator is being transferred to a nearby farm that processes alligators for hide and meat.

https://www.newsweek.com/florida-man-bitten-seven-foot-alligator-middle-night-1713645

maximus otter
Click to expand...
Another "Man in Florida" story.
 

Man with ‘whistling scrotum’ escapes death after bizarre medical emergency​


A nightmare turned into a reality for an Ohio man who was alarmed to hear weird noises coming from his genitals.

The unidentified 72-year-old, who heard a “hissing'” noise, has been diagnosed as the first person in the world with a “whistling scrotum,” according to the alarming new study published in the American Journal of Case Reports.

The man — out of breath with a swollen face — was rushed to his local emergency room complaining about his bizarre condition, the report said.

An X-ray of the man’s chest revealed that he had “excessive” amounts of air floating within his body, causing his lungs to collapse. If left untreated, this could have permanently damaged his heart and lungs function, potentially leading to death, doctors reported.

Later, the primary source of the man’s strange whistling was discovered to be an open wound on the left side of his scrotum. The injury, leftover from testicle surgery to reduce swelling five months earlier, allowed some trapped air to escape.

https://nypost.com/2022/06/29/man-with-whistling-scrotum-escapes-death-after-emergency/

maximus otter
 
They rushed a doctor from his home to see what the problem was and he said "I don't believe it - you've woken me up in the middle of the night just so that I can hear some ballbag whistling?!"
 
Mikefule said:
A quick Google shows it is a design used by Aleksey Saburov and several examples are known with this head, on 1937 coins.
Click to expand...
He has some real skill. If it's an original by him, it is probably worth more than $20.

Edit: Had a look... OK, $10 is about the price. They're amazingly affordable.
 
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Mythopoeika said:
He has some real skill. If it's an original by him, it is probably worth more than $20.

Edit: Had a look... OK, $10 is about the price. They're amazingly affordable.
Click to expand...
Still quite a mark up on the face value of the coin — and it's not even a new one...

Joking apart, I used to collect coins in a small way, and most legal tender coins are virtually valueless to a collector due to wear. These hobo nickels, when genuine and hand carved, are a beautiful vernacular art form and it would be a pity if they became ridiculously expensive. The joyful surprise of finding one in your change and giving it to your kids as a keepsake has a value beyond "condition" and rarity.

This reminds me a bit of "scrimshaw". Sailors used to while away the long quiet hours carving elaborate designs on bone or ivory. I can imagine a hobo spending a long train journey diligently carving away at a coin, a little bit at a time, the enjoyment being more in the activity than the end result, but still with some thought of financial reward at the end.
 
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Mikefule said:
Still quite a mark up on the face value of the coin — and it's not even a new one...

Joking apart, I used to collect coins in a small way, and most legal tender coins are virtually valueless to a collector due to wear. These hobo nickels, when genuine and hand carved, are a beautiful vernacular art form and it would be a pity if they became ridiculously expensive. The joyful surprise of finding one in your change and giving it to your kids as a keepsake has a value beyond "condition" and rarity.

This reminds me a bit of "scrimshaw". Sailors used to while away the long quiet hours carving elaborate designs on bone or ivory. I can imagine a hobo spending a long train journey diligently carving away at a coin, a little bit at a time, the enjoyment being more in the activity than the end result, but still with some thought of financial reward at the end.
Click to expand...
The price and the quality makes me want to buy one or two. Amazing work in many of them.
 
maximus otter said:

Man with ‘whistling scrotum’ escapes death after bizarre medical emergency​


A nightmare turned into a reality for an Ohio man who was alarmed to hear weird noises coming from his genitals.

The unidentified 72-year-old, who heard a “hissing'” noise, has been diagnosed as the first person in the world with a “whistling scrotum,” according to the alarming new study published in the American Journal of Case Reports.

The man — out of breath with a swollen face — was rushed to his local emergency room complaining about his bizarre condition, the report said.

An X-ray of the man’s chest revealed that he had “excessive” amounts of air floating within his body, causing his lungs to collapse. If left untreated, this could have permanently damaged his heart and lungs function, potentially leading to death, doctors reported.

Later, the primary source of the man’s strange whistling was discovered to be an open wound on the left side of his scrotum. The injury, leftover from testicle surgery to reduce swelling five months earlier, allowed some trapped air to escape.

https://nypost.com/2022/06/29/man-with-whistling-scrotum-escapes-death-after-emergency/

maximus otter
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What a great name for a punk band.
 
This headline caught my eye ...

Wingham Wildlife Park rescues swarm of bees from dinosaur's jaws


Dino&BeesInMouth.jpg


With its huge teeth, not many creatures would be brave enough to venture near a vicious velociraptor.

But a swarm of bees decided the fearsome dinosaur's mouth would make a nice resting place. ...

It made for quite a spectacle at Wingham Wildlife Park near Canterbury, which has a dinosaur display featuring 20 models of the beasts, familiar to fans of the Jurassic Park blockbuster movie series.

But staff decided the bees should find a new home and called on expert beekeepers, who safely moved the swarm to a more suitable location. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canter...rm-sets-up-home-in-velociraptors-jaws-269762/
 
Escargot???

Giant African land snails put Florida town in quarantine​

Giant snails that can grow up to the size of a rat have been reported in a town in Florida.

The invasive species, native to Africa, carry the parasite rat lungworm, known to cause meningitis in humans.

On June 23, 2022, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) confirmed the detection of the giant African land snail in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County.

The area was quarantined the next day.

Unlike a Covid-19 quarantine, this one means residents are prohibited from moving plants, soil, yard waste, debris, compost and building materials outside the designated zone.

‘The giant African land snail is one of the most damaging snails in the world and consumes at least 500 different types of plants,’ said the FDACS.
Click to expand...
https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/04/giant-african-land-snails-put-florida-town-in-quarantine-16936894/
 
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