Latest news with #Clovis
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Scientists Found 6,000-Year-Old Human Remains. No Other People Share Their DNA.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: An analysis of bones from ancient people who once lived in Colombia has discovered DNA that does not directly connect them to any other ancient or modern population in South America. It is thought that these people might somehow be related to speakers of Chibchan languages, which are spoken in the area where they once lived. More genomic research will be needed to demystify who these unknown people were and whose ancestors they might be. Around 6,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers who migrated south settled in the Bogotá Altiplano of what is now Colombia, transitioning to an agricultural society over the next 4,000 years. Then they vanished. Whoever these people were, they disappeared from the genetic record. The team of researchers who discovered them through fragmented DNA in their skeletal remains have not been able to find any ancient relatives or modern descendants. They are strangely not related to Indigenous Columbians, having more of a connection to people who now live on the Isthmus of Panama and speak Chibchan languages. It could be possible that they spread through the region, mixing with local populations for so long that their genes were diluted, but no one can be sure. Genetics tell the story of how the Americas were populated by the ancestors of modern Indigenous people. Their origins lie in Siberian and East Asian groups who are thought to have first mixed 20,000 years ago, during the Late Paleolithic, later crossing a bridge of ice to North America some 16,000 years ago. It was then that this lineage split into northern Native American and southern Native American lines. While the northern Native American ancestry is mostly made up of populations that stayed in North America, three more lineages branched into southern Native American ancestry, which would reach further south. 'The Isthmo-Colombian area, stretching from the coast of Honduras to the northern Colombian Andes, is critical to understanding the peopling of the Americas,' the researchers said in a study recently published in Science Advances. 'Besides being the land bridge between North and South America, it is at the center of the three major cultural regions of Mesoamerica, Amazonia, and the Andes.' Each southern Native American lineage can be traced back to its earliest ancestors. There is one line descending from the Anzick-1 individual discovered in 1968, when construction workers unearthed the 12,700-year-old skull of a child belonging to the Clovis people, one of the earliest known peoples in the Americas. This young boy is related to modern Indigenous people from North, Central and South America. Another lineage that is found in the Central Andes comes from ancient people living in California's Channel Islands. Yet another lineage, also descended from the Clovis population, is associated with the oldest Central and South Americans from Belize, Brazil and Chile. When exactly these populations appeared in Central and South America is still mostly unknown, but they must have arrived by traveling over the land bridge that connects the southernmost part of Central America to the South American subcontinent. There is also a linguistic connection. Speakers of Chibchan languages share some genetic and cultural aspects with the mysterious people who cannot be traced directly to any population. When and where the ancestral Proto-Chibchan language originated is unclear, but distinct languages are thought to have started evolving from it several thousand years ago, possibly in southern Central America. Chibchan speakers in this region have kept the largest number of these languages alive. While genetic analysis of local Indigenous people has shown that they are related to more ancient speakers of Chibchan languages, some findings suggest that they are not directly descended from the first people to settle in that part of Colombia. By studying both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and genome-wide data from 21 ancient individuals who lived in this region from 6,000 to 500 years ago, the researchers were able to find out some information about who they were, but not all the answers. More ancient Panamanians were found to be related to modern Chibchan speakers than ancient Colombians. However, Indigenous Chibchan speakers from Central America are the modern population genetically closest to ancient Colombians who lived after 2,000 years ago. Many groups who were around at the same time and spoke similar languages to the unknown people still need further investigation. 'Ancient genomic data from neighboring areas along the Northern Andes that have not yet been analyzed through ancient genomics,' the researchers said, 'such as western Colombia, western Venezuela, and Ecuador, will be pivotal to better define the timing and ancestry sources of human migrations into South America.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Adult or juvenile murder charges? Here's latest in Clovis teen killing trial
In the Spotlight is a Fresno Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email tips@ Two 16-year-olds in Fresno County were recently accused of the premeditated killing of Clovis teen Caleb Quick and many, including District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, have called for the teens to face an adult trial. Whether they will be charged as adults is a significant undertaking that will not likely be decided quickly, according to experts. Fresno attorney Kathy Bird is the defense attorney for Byron Rangel, who was accused of being the gunman who sought out the 18-year-old Quick on April 23 before shooting him in the head outside of a McDonald's near Willow and Nees avenues. The teen faces a charge of murder and an enhancement for lying in wait. Also charged in the case was Cassandra Michael, 16, who police said was the getaway driver. She also faces an enhancement as a co-participant in a crime involving a gun. The two 16-year-olds were dating. The Bee is naming the juvenile defendants after Judge Amythest Freeman on May 14 denied requests from their attorneys to withhold their names, entering them into the public record. Two-and-half weeks after the fatal shooting, the two Clovis Unified students turned themselves into police in Clovis on May 9. Rangel's next hearing is June 4, and Michael's is June 18. The Fresno County District Attorney's Office has made the request to try them as adults, but it's up to a judge to decide. Multiple attorneys who spoke with the Fresno Bee laid out the process for how the judicial system weighs that request. The teen must be at least 16 to face an adult court under Proposition 57, which voters passed in 2016. Two years later, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 1391 to move the minimum age up to 16 from 14. The alleged crime must also be an 'enumerated offense,' which basically means a more serious alleged crime like murder, rape, carjacking or robbery at gunpoint. A judge will hold a transfer hearing in which the prosecutors and defense attorneys make their arguments on why the teen should be moved to an adult court or stay in the juvenile system. The transfer hearing in juvenile court is much more similar to a juvenile criminal proceeding than a preliminary hearing in adult court is to an adult criminal trial, according to Michael McKneely, a veteran Fresno attorney with experience in homicide trials in both juvenile and adult courts. 'They hear evidence, they hear witnesses and things like that,' he said. 'A transfer hearing is a lot like an actual juvenile trial, because although there are is a focus on the five key criteria, there's also a focus on the factual basis as well.' He was referring to the five factors a judge weighs in a juvenile transfer hearing: Totality of the circumstances and seriousness of the crime. The degree of sophistication of the crime. The likeliness of rehabilitation of the teen. Previous history of delinquency. Success of previous attempts at rehabilitation. Both Rangel's attorney and Jeff Hammerschmidt, Michael's attorney, described their clients as teens from decent families who had no previous delinquency. As part of the transfer hearing, juvenile probation officials will be asked to make a recommendation on the transfer. The judge can use it in their decision but is not required to follow the recommendation. The defense will have the teens evaluated by psychiatrists, including looking into whether they had adverse childhood events that may have led them to act out differently than a well-adjusted teen. None of this happens quickly. All of the factors in the case would likely come out during many court hearings over months or longer. A case involving a 17-year-old accused of quadruple homicide in Reedley in January 2024 is ongoing, and the court has not yet determined if he should be tried as an adult. A decision has also not been made on a 17-year-old accused of killing and dismembering a man in Mendota in April 2024. Members of the community can grow impatient in the process, and show frustration that the decision takes so long. McKneely stressed that the public should be patient and allow the system to work to come to a full determination. 'I don't know anybody, outside other than the police or the prosecutors or the defense attorneys, who knows enough about the circumstances of the offense to be able to knowledgeably say whether you know this kid or the girlfriend really are irredeemable,' McKneely said. The most glaring difference a teen faces in adult court is the severity of the punishment. As adults, Michael would face 26 years to life for participating in the slaying while Rangel would potentially be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said. As juveniles, they each face up to seven years of confinement or up until they turn 25, prosecutors said. Hammerchmidt said the difference between how the courts handle a juvenile case and an adult case are 'absolutely huge.' The courts in juvenile cases lean heavily on diversion, when the court prescribes treatment or programs to correct a person's actions rather than a jail sentence. 'The purpose of the juvenile court is rehabilitation rather than punishment,' he said. 'Sometimes punishment is part of it but it's less of an emphasis.' There has been an evolving perspective in California of how the courts treat young people who commit crimes. Prop. 57 and SB 1391 are examples of that. In 2020, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office took the additional step of not sending any minors to adult court as part of their own policies. Even 18 can be seen as too young to handle adult consequences. Some science shows that a person's brain does not finish developing until mid- to late 20s, and the Supreme Court made note of that in its decision in Graham vs. Florida in 2010 in which the justices ruled life sentences cannot be given to minors who commit 'non-homicide crime.' California also holds youth offender parole hearings for anyone younger than 26 when they committed a crime, a law that went into effect with Assembly Bill 1308 in 2018. 'Courts are catching up with brain science,' Bird said.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Clovis North dual champ repeats at CA track championships. Trans athlete lands 2 golds
The California Interscholastic Federation state track and field championships wrapped up Saturday with one athlete who had been in the center of national attention capturing two first-place medals and a second-place finish. A transgender girl competitor, who The Bee is not identifying, won the girls high jump and triple jump and tied for second in the long jump at the California state finals at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis. The athlete's appearance in the state finals had become a viral story after President Donald Trump earlier this week and local politicians later said the competition was unfair for girls competitors. On Saturday, a person in the stands yelled out a comment during the girls long jump competition, prompting a CIF official to respond via the stadium's speaker system. 'Please show respect for the athletes. You are distracting to all athletes. Please be respectful and we will pause if this behavior continues.' The long jump competition was delayed for five minutes before continuing. Loren Webster of Wilson-Long Beach won with a mark of 21 feet and 0 1/4 inch. Brooke White of River City was second at 19-4 1/4, tied with the trans athlete. Webster said she had been motivated this week to perform, after coverage leading up to the meet had focused on the gender format. The CIF said earlier in the week it was implementing a 'pilot entry process' to allow cisgender female athletes who failed to qualify to compete in the championships . A day later, the CIF said a biological female student-athlete would be on the podium at the state finals if they got the same mark as a trans athlete. President Trump questioned the eligibility of a transgender female athletes. Yet, Webster wasn't fazed. 'Especially after the comments that were made,' she said. 'The person ... is a cool person. I'm cordial with them.' White said she respected the athlete. 'I have been supportive of her from the beginning,' she said. 'She works just as hard as all of us. 'She's just as nervous as all of us and she doesn't need that extra noise because the extra noise affects us, too. I'm so proud of all of us for hitting good marks, and there's a lot of (personal records) out there — but just hitting good marks even with the hate that we heard from the stands.' White said she heard someone yell 'No boys in girls sports.' 'That's a girl,' she said. 'She is just as feminine as any of us.' More protests continued Saturday but nothing turned physical like during qualifying on Friday. Police said two people on Saturday were told by a CIF official to leave for handing out flyers. On Friday outside the stadium, a 19-year-old argued with a protester supporting girls rights. The incident turned physical and the 19-year-old was pepper-sprayed by the other man. Police arrested the 19 year old. The other man was not arrested. When the athlete was introduced Saturday, she was met with applause. After she was announced as the first-place finisher in the triple jump, she gathered her belongings and walked out of the stadium with a CIF official without comment. For senior McKay Madsen, he looked out in the distance, standing on the first-place podium, took a deep breath and let it out. He realized that was it and thanked his god for willing him to victories in the discus and shot put — again. His discus mark was 210-08 —and his shot put was a jaw-breaking 69-11 that drew an audible reaction from the crowd. 'So much pride, and just this whole season and my whole four years, really coming up to this point and being able to repeat what we did last year. We (were) in the running for a team championship, which is pretty crazy. Just me and Conor (Lott).' Lott placed first in the 1,600 at 4:03.32. Luke Sanders of Buchanan placed third in 4:06.02. 'I took it race by race,' Lott said. 'I got to the point at (Central Section) Masters last week where I was like, I know I can win this; I'm in a position to.' Clovis North had just two participants in the finals, and Madsen and Lott with three first-place finishes came close to winning the state title. But Servite finished third in the 1,600 relay to win the California team crown with 33 points over Clovis North at 30. Madsen said he was proud of how he wrapped up his high school career with four overall first-place finishes. 'It's like literally an obsession,' he said. 'I'm thinking how am I going to pull this off? I just got to keep steady and we peaked at the right time, but every day I thought about winning and it led me here and we did it.' Clovis North girls (eighth, 400 relay); Buchanan boys (fifth, 400 relay); Sierra Cornett, Buchanan (seventh, 1,600); Sofia Lopes, Central (seventh, 100HH and seventh, 300LH); Wyatt Ruby, Redwood (sixth, 110HH); Hudson Hergenrader, Buchanan (seventh, 110HH and fifth, 300IH)); Gabi Belli, Bullard (fourth, 400); Emanuel Morgan, Central (sixth, 400); Brandon Smith (seventh, 400); Victoria Chatter, Buchanan (seventh, 200); Clovis North girls (3200, fifth); Buchanan girls (sixth, 3200 relay); Monache boys (seventh, 3,200 relay); Isabella Ramirez, Bullard (eighth, 3200); Clovis North (seventh, 1,600 relay); Central boys (second, 1,600 relay); Karsyn Van Grouw, Buchanan (fourth, discus); Krista Hopkins, Clovis (eighth, long jump); Tyrik Jackson, Hanford (ninth, long jump); Indiana Davis, Clovis East (ninth, high jump); Jazmaine Stewart, Redwood (sixth, triple jump); Liliana Medrano, Clovis East (ninth, triple jump).
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
AB Hernandez: 16-year-old transgender athlete wins two golds and a silver as participation sparks controversy
A 16-year-old transgender athlete who is the focus of a US sports row has won two golds and a silver at the California high school track and field championship. AB Hernandez was born a boy but has transitioned and now competes against girls. And the teenager's inclusion in the girls category in the high jump, long jump and triple jump became a national conversation. Critics, including parents, conservative activists and President Trump, had called for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Who is AB Hernandez? In the city of Clovis on Saturday, she took part under a new rule change brought in by the state's interscholastic federation, under which an extra student was allowed to compete and win a medal in the events where Hernandez qualified. And it meant there were two winners when she finished first. Hernandez shared first place in the high jump with Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle. All three cleared a height of 5ft 7in (1.7m), but Hernandez had no failed attempts, while the other two had each logged one failure. Hernandez also had a first-place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher, who trailed her by more than half a metre. Also, Hernandez came second in the long jump with Brooke White. "Sharing the podium was nothing but an honour," White said. "As a part of the queer community I want AB Hernandez to know we all have her back." Plane protest During Hernandez's qualifying events on Friday, a plane flew over the stadium trailing a banner, which read: "No boys in girls' sports." It was organised and paid for by two women's advocacy groups. A small protest also took place on the road outside. "Save girls' sports," one poster read. "XX does not equal XY," read another. Transgender inclusion is a thorny issue but a vote winner for Donald Trump, who campaigned last year with a promise to "kick out men from women's sport". He signed an executive order seeking to ban transgender women from female sports. And Mr Trump has threatened to withdraw federal funding from California over Hernandez's participation in this weekend's athletics event. 'Pilot entry process' The California Interscholastic Federation had earlier said it was launching a "pilot entry process" to allow more girls to participate in the championship. It only applied to the three events in which Hernandez competed. Read more from Sky News:How Musk's mission to cut government spending fell flatUK to build weapons factories in £6bn push to rearm The rule change may be the first attempt nationally by a high school sports governing body to expand competition when trans athletes are participating. If a transgender athlete wins a medal, their ranking would not displace a "biological female" student from also medalling, the federation confirmed, and it will be reflected in the records. The federation said the rule opens the field to more "biological female" athletes. The organisation did not specify how it defines "biological female" or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.
Sky News
a day ago
- General
- Sky News
AB Hernandez: 16-year-old transgender athlete wins two golds and a silver as participation sparks controversy
A 16-year-old transgender athlete who is the focus of a US sports row has won two golds and a silver at the California high school track and field championship. AB Hernandez was born a boy but has transitioned and now competes against girls. And the teenager's inclusion in the girls category in the high jump, long jump and triple jump became a national conversation. Critics, including parents, conservative activists and President Trump, had called for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Who is AB Hernandez? In the city of Clovis on Saturday, she took part under a new rule change brought in by the state's interscholastic federation, under which an extra student was allowed to compete and win a medal in the events where Hernandez qualified. And it meant there were two winners when she finished first. Hernandez shared first place in the high jump with Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle. All three cleared a height of 5ft 7in (1.7m), but Hernandez had no failed attempts, while the other two had each logged one failure. Hernandez also had a first-place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher, who trailed her by more than half a metre. Also, Hernandez came second in the long jump with Brooke White. "Sharing the podium was nothing but an honour," White said. "As a part of the queer community I want AB Hernandez to know we all have her back." Plane protest During Hernandez's qualifying events on Friday, a plane flew over the stadium trailing a banner, which read: "No boys in girls' sports." It was organised and paid for by two women's advocacy groups. A small protest also took place on the road outside. "Save girls' sports," one poster read. "XX does not equal XY," read another. Transgender inclusion is a thorny issue but a vote winner for Donald Trump, who campaigned last year with a promise to "kick out men from women's sport". He signed an executive order seeking to ban transgender women from female sports. And Mr Trump has threatened to withdraw federal funding from California over Hernandez's participation in this weekend's athletics event. 'Pilot entry process' The California Interscholastic Federation had earlier said it was launching a "pilot entry process" to allow more girls to participate in the championship. It only applied to the three events in which Hernandez competed. The rule change may be the first attempt nationally by a high school sports governing body to expand competition when trans athletes are participating. If a transgender athlete wins a medal, their ranking would not displace a "biological female" student from also medalling, the federation confirmed, and it will be reflected in the records. The federation said the rule opens the field to more "biological female" athletes. The organisation did not specify how it defines "biological female" or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.
