One Egyptologist isn’t ready to close the book on the tale of two toes. Once thought to be mere ornamentation for the afterlife, the artificial toes found on two ancient Egyptian mummies may actually be the earliest known prosthetic limbs.

The fake toes in question are the Greville Chester and Tabaketenmut toes. The Greville toe dates to before 600 BC and is made of cartonnage (similar to papier mâché); the Tabaketenmut toe could date as far back as 710 BC and is made mostly of wood, though researchers believe it also contains leather, and it even has a hinge for flexibility.

Jacky Finch, an Egyptologist at the University of Manchester, UK, had a hunch that these artificial toes weren’t just for looks. Not only were the toes rigorously correct in their anatomy, but they also showed signs of wear and tear–which prompted an experiment that has been over 2,000 years in the making.

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Following on the, er, tails of yesterday’s animal prosthetics news, a New Zealand woman has become what is probably the closest thing to a real-life mermaid since…well, ever. Nadya Vessey, who had both legs amputated due to a childhood congenital disorder, contacted the Weta Workshop, the special effects company behind such cinematic feats as Lord of the Rings and King Kong, to see if they would create a functional mermaid tail for her.

To her surprise, they said yes.

It took several thousand dollars, eight staff members, and two and a half years, but the tail was completed in December [for more pics and video, go here] and now successfully helps guide Vessey through the water—though it did force her to learn a new way of swimming. The engineers used 3-D modeling, milling technology, and vacuum forming to design the tail. Its spine and fin are made from polycarbonate, a pliable material. Wetsuit fabric is used for the “skin,” and a scale pattern, designed by a Weta artist, is printed on the outer Lycra layer.

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Lest ye think humans are the only recipients of prosthetics, here’s proof otherwise: Mosha, a three-year-old elephant in Thailand, has just successfully received her second prosthetic leg. The pachyderm was just a baby when she stepped on a landmine and lost part of her front leg. (Unfortunately, this is not a rarity in Thailand, whose borders with Cambodia and Myanmar are populated with elephants and littered with landmines.)

After her injury, she was brought to a sanctuary, where the staff didn’t have much hope for her. But an amputation expert who normally works with humans fitted her for a prosthetic, which not only helped her walk, but even changed her social life.

Other elephants at the sanctuary, who at first rejected Mosha, began to accept her once she had regained a fourth limb. After eating 200 pounds of food a day, she outgrew her old leg and needed to be fitted for a new one, which is made of plastic, metal, and sawdust (yes, sawdust).

Amazingly enough, Mosha is not alone in the world of animal prostheses. Lovey, a horse in Arkansas, deserves special mention after a prosthetic successfully replaced her leg, which had been caught in a fence last year. Given that horses are usually shot the instant they break a leg, Lovey’s limb is a striking achievement.

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