The Edmontosaurus mummy in the American Museum of Natural History is an
exceptionally well-preserved fossil of a dinosaur, the first found to
include a skeleton encased in skin impressions; almost two-thirds of the
skin is preserved. Discovered in 1908 in the United States near Lusk,
Wyoming, it is ascribed to the species Edmontosaurus annectens, a
hadrosaurid (duck-billed dinosaur). It was discovered lying on its back,
its neck twisted backwards and its forelimbs outstretched. After
dehydration and burial of the carcass, bacteria consolidated the
surrounding sediments, resulting in its excellent preservation. Skin
impressions found in between the fingers were once interpreted as
evidence for an aquatic lifestyle. The mummy was found by fossil hunter
Charles Hazelius Sternberg and his three sons in the Lance Formation.
Although Sternberg was working under contract to the British Museum of
Natural History, Henry Fairfield Osborn managed to secure the mummy for
the American museum.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmontosaurus_mummy_AMNH_5060>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1869:
Jay Gould, James Fisk and other speculators plotted but failed
to control the gold market in the U.S., causing gold prices to plummet
on "Black Friday".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_%281869%29>
1911:
His Majesty's Airship No. 1, Britain's first rigid airship, was
wrecked by strong winds before her maiden flight at Barrow-in-Furness.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMA_No._1>
1946:
Cathay Pacific (aircraft pictured), the de facto international
flag carrier of Hong Kong, was founded by Roy Farrell and Sydney de
Kantzow.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathay_Pacific>
1975:
Dougal Haston and Doug Scott on the Southwest Face expedition
became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest by
ascending one of its faces.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_British_Mount_Everest_Southwest_Face_expedition>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
mercurial:
1. (comparable) Having a lively or volatile character; animated,
changeable, quick-witted.
2. (not comparable, astrology) Pertaining to the astrological influence
of the planet Mercury; having the characteristics of a person under such
influence (see adjective sense 1).
3. (not comparable, astronomy) Pertaining to the planet Mercury.
4. (not comparable, chemistry) Of or pertaining to the element mercury
or quicksilver; containing mercury.
5. (not comparable, medicine) Caused by the action of mercury or a
mercury compound.
6. (not comparable, Roman mythology) Pertaining to Mercury, the Roman
god of, among other things, commerce, financial gain, communication, and
thieves and trickery; hence (comparable), money-making; crafty.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mercurial>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
First you use machines, then you wear machines, and then ...?
Then you serve machines.
--John Brunner
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Brunner>