But what has not been clear before is whether the common ancestor was, like the sea cow, aquatic and therefore whether elephants have undergone a tortuous evolutionary journey from water to land (when their remote ancestors changed from fish to amphibians) then back to water again, before finally returning to the land.

ECONOMIST: The elephant and the mermaid

The six judges concluded the broader standard of common law negligence applies in Karen Hastings' case, in which she was injured when her van hit a cow on a public road, and they reinstated her personal injury lawsuit.

WSJ: Mend fences: NY court OKs suit over roaming cows