Latest news with #southernGermany
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
True crime drama fans 'binge-watched in one sitting' hits BBC iPlayer for free - after being hailed as 'wonderfully authentic and unpretentious'
A true crime drama fans have 'binge-watched in one sitting' has hit BBC iPlayer and can now be watched for free. The four-part series, titled The Black Forest Murders, was recently acquired by the broadcaster. Based on the non-fiction book SOKO Erle by Walter Roth, the German show takes inspiration from the criminal cases of two murdered women in southern Germany. The fictional series stars Nina Kunzendorf as Senior Detective Barbara Kramer and Tilman Strauß as Thomas Riedle, amongst others. A synopsis reads: 'The clock is ticking... When a woman is bludgeoned to death, detectives face mounting pressure to crack the case and catch a killer. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Intense crime drama inspired by real-life cases.' BBC boss Sue Deeks previously said: 'The Black Forest Murders is an authentic and compelling crime series focusing on the work of a meticulous investigative team. 'As well as being a gripping murder mystery, the series offers a detailed look at the challenges of solving complex crimes, and the psychological toll on those involved in such high-stakes investigations.' The series has become a hit with viewers and one wrote on Google: 'I watched the entire series in one sitting and thought it was excellent. 'The meticulous investigation was amazing. Nina Kunzendorf was at her best as a fair and likeable boss in a strong team. 'Unfortunately, the translation often came across poorly, as several actors spoke in dialect. But thank goodness there's subtitles in the media library. It's sad, but you can help yourself.' Another added: 'I found this four-part series extremely good. It was exciting, with good dialogue, some of which was mumbled—it was due to the dialect - and a very good portrayal of a real series of murders. 'The actors did a very good job, especially Ms. Kramer, who acted convincingly. It was a glimpse behind the scenes of a special investigation unit. I'd be happy if there were more short series.' The four-part series has become a hit with viewers and some took to Google to leave reviews of the show Someone else penned: 'We liked the series so much that we watched all the episodes right away. And it never got boring. 'This crime thriller was free of staged chases and unnecessary action—just good, real police work. Good actors, though difficult to understand at times. The sound was the only downside to this strong crime thriller.' But not everyone has been impressed and one viewer penned: 'I watched three episodes and waited with suspense for the investigation to reach its climax. 'Then, in the fourth episode, I was completely disappointed... A completely unknown perpetrator, who was never even considered before and never appeared, just some truck driver, completely anonymous to the viewer! 'That was the end! What a waste of time, very flat and... why is everyone smoking all the time, apart from that dialect! No suspense!' Another drama hit BBC iPlayer recently and viewers broke down in tears after all instalments of a 'masterpiece' family drama were finally loaded onto the streaming platform. The Last Anniversary, which hit the on-demand platform on Saturday, follows journalist Sophie (Teresa Palmer) after she inherits her ex-boyfriend's great-aunt's house on the remote, fictional Scribbly Gum Island. As she settles in, she also attempts to solve a 50-year-old local cold case that has haunted the island - and drawn in true crime tourists - for years. But not everyone has been impressed and one viewer penned their take on Google reviews too The Australian six-part comedy-drama, first released down under in March, is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, the author behind Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers. Alongside lead Teresa (The Fall Guy), it also stars Oscar-nominated British actress Miranda Richardson (Good Omens) and Australian actress Danielle Macdonald (The Tourist). Co-produced by Nicole Kidman and Liane herself, among others, it has impressed critics and viewers alike, whose reviews and comments online sing their praises for the high-quality show. Stream The Black Forest Murders on BBC iPlayer.
CNA
14-05-2025
- Science
- CNA
Chicago museum's fossil yields insights on famed early bird Archaeopteryx
A new analysis of a pigeon-sized Archaeopteryx fossil in the collection of the Field Museum in Chicago is revealing an array of previously unknown features of the earliest-known bird, providing insight into its feathers, hands, feet and head. The specimen, unearthed in southern Germany, is one of the most complete and best preserved of the 14 known fossils of Archaeopteryx identified since 1861. The discovery of the first Archaeopteryx fossil, with its blend of reptile-like and bird-like features, caused a sensation, lending support to British naturalist Charles Darwin's ideas about evolution and showing that birds had descended from dinosaurs. The new study, examining the Chicago fossil using UV light to make out soft tissues and CT scans to discern minute details still embedded in the rock, shows that 164 years later there is more to learn about this celebrated creature that took flight 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. The researchers identified anatomical traits indicating that while Archaeopteryx was capable of flight, it probably spent a lot of time on the ground and may have been able to climb trees. The scientists identified for the first time in an Archaeopteryx fossil the presence of specialized feathers called tertials on both wings. These innermost flight feathers of the wing are attached to the elongated humerus bone in the upper arm. Birds evolved from small feathered dinosaurs, which lacked tertials. The discovery of them in Archaeopteryx, according to the researchers, suggests that tertials, present in many birds today, evolved specifically for flight. Feathered dinosaurs lacking tertials would have had a gap between the feathered surface of their upper arms and the body. "To generate lift, the aerodynamic surface must be continuous with the body. So in order for flight using feathered wings to evolve, dinosaurs had to fill this gap - as we see in Archaeopteryx," said Field Museum paleontologist Jingmai O'Connor, lead author of the study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. "Although we have studied Archaeopteryx for over 160 years, so much basic information is still controversial. Is it a bird? Could it fly? The presence of tertials supports the interpretation that the answer to both these questions is 'yes,'" O'Connor added. The delicate specimen, preserved in three dimensions rather than squashed flat like many fossils, was painstakingly prepared to protect soft tissue remains, which glowed under ultraviolet light. Birds are the only members of the dinosaur lineage to have survived a mass extinction 66 million years ago, caused by an asteroid striking Earth. Archaeopteryx boasted reptilian traits like teeth, a long and bony tail, and claws on its hands, alongside bird-like traits like wings formed by large, asymmetrical feathers. The soft tissue of its toe pads appears to have been adapted for spending a lot of its life on the ground, consistent with the limited flight capabilities that Archaeopteryx is believed to have possessed. "That's not to say it couldn't perch. It could do so still pretty well. But the point being that near the beginning of powered flight, Archaeopteryx was still spending most of its time on the ground," said study co-author Alex Clark, a doctoral student in evolutionary biology at the University of Chicago and the Field Museum. The soft tissue on the hand suggests that the first and third fingers were mobile and could be used for climbing. An examination of Archaeopteryx's palate - roof of the mouth - confirmed that its skull was immobile, unlike many living birds. But there was skeletal evidence of the first stages in the evolution of a trait that lets the beak move independently from the braincase, as seen in modern birds. The fossil possesses the only complete Archaeopteryx vertebral column, including two tiny vertebrae at the tip of the tail showing it had 24 vertebrae, one more than previously thought. The museum last year announced the acquisition of the fossil, which it said had been in the hands of a series of private collectors since being unearthed sometime before 1990. "This specimen is arguably the best Archaeopteryx ever found and we're learning a ton of new things from it," O'Connor said. "I consider Archaeopteryx to be the most important fossil species of all time. It is, after all, the icon of evolution, and evolution is the unifying concept of the biological sciences. Not only is Archaeopteryx the oldest-known fossil bird, with birds today being the most successful lineage of land vertebrates, it is the species that demonstrates that birds are living dinosaurs," O'Connor said.
