Latest news with #Narducci
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4 days ago
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Sloths The Size of Elephants Roamed America, Before Abruptly Vanishing
Massive Megatherium sloths once stood as large as Asian elephants, ripping foliage off treetops with prehensile tongues like today's giraffes. "They looked like grizzly bears but five times larger," says paleontologist Rachel Narducci from the Florida Museum of Natural History. Megatherium were among a dazzling assortment of more than a hundred different sloth species that once roamed the Americas. Their ancient DNA now tells the likely story of why only six sloth species remain. Analyzing the DNA of 403 sloth fossils from museum collections, alongside weight estimates and environmental information, a new study has created a detailed sloth family tree. This 35 million years of evolutionary history revealed these once-diverse animals' sizes matched up neatly with the environmental conditions they experienced. The endearingly dopey mammals we know and love today are so suited to their arboreal environment that they've developed an incredibly strong upper body, have guts designed to hang upside-down, and risk their lives when they descend to poop. "Living sloths are extremely slow and that's because they have a very low metabolic rate," University of Buenos Aires paleontologist Alberto Boscaini told Helen Briggs from the BBC. "This is their strategy to survive." But many ancient species were too heavy for tree branches to bear, and stuck to the ground, like Megatherium and Lestodon. Unlike today's sloths, these species were well suited to moving with agility over the earth and had much faster metabolisms. "Some ground sloths also had little pebble-like osteoderms embedded in their skin," notes Narducci, explaining these rocky bumps were a ground-defense trait they shared with one of their closest relatives, armadillos. There was even an aquatic sloth, Thalassocnus, that survived life on the arid strip between the Andes and Pacific by foraging in the ocean. "They developed adaptations similar to those of manatees," says Narducci. "They had dense ribs to help with buoyancy and longer snouts for eating seagrass." Gigantism evolved several times in sloths and likely contributed to their survival into the Pleistocene ice ages, when they reached their greatest sizes. But about 15,000 years ago many of these species abruptly vanished. "[This] does not track with shifts in palaeotemperature, reinforcing the idea that human impacts played a more prominent role in the extinction of ground sloths than climatic change," the researchers conclude. The bulk that kept giant sloths warm and saved them from local predators made them a target of Earth's most voracious predator: us. Their numbers dropped off massively once humans arrived in North America. In contrast, the sluggish tree-climbers we know today seemed to have had more luck staying out of our reach, at least until more recently. Two of the six species still alive today are now on the IUCN endangered species lists. Boscaini and team's findings echo an increasingly recognized global story: the rapid extinction of megafauna following the arrival of humans – a scenario that's still continuing today. This research was published in Science. This Giant Snail Lays Eggs Out of Its Neck… Yes, Seriously Cephalopods Passed a Cognitive Test Designed For Human Children Study Reveals How Your Cat Remembers Who You Are
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
When can someone be charged in CT with manslaughter in connection with a drug overdose death?
Prosecutors in Connecticut can bring charges of manslaughter or murder in association with drug overdose deaths, but it doesn't happen very often. New London State's Attorney Paul Narducci said there are a number of factors involved in charging a defendant with manslaughter or murder for a drug overdose death. He said one factor is evidence that establishes whether or not a person knows the narcotics they are distributing contains fentanyl. According to WebMD, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used to treat severe pain. It is much stronger than other opioids and is often added to illegal drugs without people knowing, according to WebMD. 'Very rarely do you see charges of murder that accompany a narcotics sale which leads to a death of another person,' Narducci said. 'Because in Connecticut, we have to establish that the person intended to cause the death and actually caused the death of that person.' According to Narducci, intent is difficult to prove unless a defendant purposefully laced narcotics with fentanyl in an attempt to kill someone. 'We have been charging manslaughter in the first degree, manslaughter in the second degree which bring about a death because it's based on reckless conduct,' Narducci said. 'And with the prevalence of fentanyl and the notoriety of fentanyl and the consequences of fentanyl, I think there's a better chance to establish that a person is acting recklessly when they distribute narcotics that are laced with fentanyl.' More: Overdose death in Norwich leads to manslaughter charges: What court records say One person charged with manslaughter in connection to a drug overdose death is Desiree Greene. An investigation by the Norwich Police Department and Connecticut State Police Bureau of Investigations Joint Task Force-East Field Office revealed Greene supplied a man with the lethal dose of narcotics prior to his death. Greene was subsequently charged with manslaughter in the second degree and the sale of narcotics. Her next court hearing is April 16 in New London Superior Court. When asked how often manslaughter and murder charges are brought in association with drug overdose deaths, New London State's Attorney Paul Narducci could not give a percentage. However, according to data from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System, drug overdose deaths have been on the rise in New London County since 2015. The number of drug overdose deaths in the county rose from 60 in 2015 to 134 in 2021. There were fewer drug overdose deaths in New London County in 2022 (125) and 2023 (80), but that number increased in 2024 to 94. The number of arrests made for drug/narcotic violations in Connecticut increased from 3,099 in 2022 to 3,184 in 2023, according to the Crime in Connecticut annual reports. The reports define these violations as the unlawful cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, sale, purchase, use, possession, transportation or importation of any controlled substance. More: What to know about bail in CT: When is it set, and who can be released with promise to appear As New London State's Attorney, Narducci serves as the chief law enforcement officer in the Judicial District of New London. His office is responsible for the prosecution of all criminal offenses that occur in the Judicial District, which includes the communities of Bozrah, Colchester, East Lyme, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Lebanon, Lisbon, Ledyard, Lyme, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Preston, Sprague, New London, Montville, Salem, Stonington, Voluntown and Waterford. Narducci oversees 28 employees in the Judicial District of New London. This figure includes 15 prosecutors, six investigators and seven clerical staff members. As of the middle of October 2024, there were approximately 8,780 cases pending and about 4,000 pending infractions in the New London Judicial District. Some of the big cases Narducci said Feb. 19 that his office was prosecuting included four or five pending murder cases, a number of pending sexual assault cases as well as narcotics trafficking cases. This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: What to know about manslaughter charges related to opioid overdose deaths
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Divers discover 500,000-year-old treasure trove of fossils in Florida sinkhole
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Fossil collectors have discovered a prehistoric graveyard buried in Florida's Steinhatchee River. The site has yielded a remarkable collection of more than 500 fossils dating back roughly half a million years. It was full of exceptionally well-preserved bones from ancient mammals, including horses, giant armadillos, sloths and possibly a new species of tapir. Around 500,000 years ago, before the river flowed over the site, a sinkhole opened up in Florida's Big Bend region and became a death trap for hundreds of animals. Sediment filled the sinkhole over time, entombing their remains in near-pristine condition. These fossils remained hidden until 2022, when fossil collectors Robert Sinibaldi and Joseph Branin stumbled upon them during a routine diving expedition in the river's murky waters. After Branin spotted horse teeth sticking out of the sediment, the pair uncovered a hoof core and a tapir skull, signaling a potential major discovery. 'It wasn't just quantity, it was quality,' Sinibaldi said in a statement released on Feb. 12 by the Florida Museum of Natural History. 'We knew we had an important site, but we didn't know how important.' The Florida Museum recognized the significance of the find and dated it to the middle of the Irvingtonian North American Land Mammal Age (1.6 million–250,000 years ago)—an evolutionary transition period with a sparse fossil record. 'The fossil record everywhere, not just in Florida, is lacking the interval that the site is from,' Rachel Narducci, vertebrate paleontology collections manager at the Florida Museum and coauthor of a study of the site published Nov. 15 in the journal Fossil Studies, said in the statement. One of the key discoveries are fossils from an extinct giant armadillo-like creature called Holmesina. Within this genus, scientists knew that there was a transition from a species that lived two million years ago, the 150-pound H floridanus, to H. septentrionalis, which reached a whopping 475 pounds — but there was little evidence of how the change in size occurred. 'It's essentially the same animal, but through time it got so much bigger and the bones changed enough that researchers published it as a different species,' Narducci said. The fossils from the Steinhatchee River offer a snapshot of this evolutionary change, as the study revealed ankle and foot bones that match the size of the later, larger Holmesina species while retaining features of their smaller ancestors. 'This gave us more clues into the fact that the anatomy kind of trailed behind the size increase," Narducci said. "So they got bigger before the shape of their bones changed.' One intriguing specimen found at the site was the skull of an ancient tapir — a pig-shaped mammal with a short elephant-like trunk. Puzzlingly, the skull had lots of features not seen in the fossil record before, leading the researchers to consider whether the specimen might belong to a previously unknown species. However, Richard Hulbert, lead author of the study, cautioned against making that leap just yet. 'We need more of the skeleton to firmly figure out what's going on with this tapir,' he said in the statement. 'It might be a new species. Or it always could just be that you picked up the oddball individual of the population.' RELATED STORIES —Giant horned dinosaur's fossils were destroyed in WWII — but photos reveal it was an unknown species —'Alien plant' fossil discovered near Utah ghost town doesn't belong to any known plant families, living or extinct —'I knew they were something special': New York homeowner discovers mastodon jaw fossils in backyard Among the 552 fossils recovered, about 75 percent belong to an early species of caballine horses — the subgroup that includes modern domestic horses. Horses tend to dwell on large expanses of grassland rather than dense forests such as those that occupy the Big Bend region today. Since horses make up such a large chunk of the fossils discovered at Steinhatchee River, the researchers concluded that the site area may have once been more open and grassy. Horse teeth were some of the best preserved fossils in the sinkhole. 'For the first time, we had individuals that were complete enough to show us upper teeth, lower teeth and the front incisors of the same individual,' Richard Hulbert, lead author of the paper, said in the statement. With wear and tear still visible on the teeth, researchers may be able to study the horses' diet in unprecedented detail.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
How bail is set in Connecticut: What factors are considered and who sets the bail
You've heard the phrase: "Bail is set at X dollars." What does that mean and who sets it? The Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division pretrial staff use specific factors to decide what type and how much bail should be posted. These factors are called weighted release criteria and are required by State Statutes. Per CT Statutes, the weighted release criteria are the nature and circumstances of the offense, the defendant's record of previous convictions (if any), the defendant's past record of appearance in court after being admitted to bail (if any), the defendant's family ties, the defendant's employment record, the defendant's financial resources, the defendant's character and mental condition as well as the defendant's community ties. New London State's Attorney Paul Narducci said if a person is arrested on a warrant, their bail amount will be set on the warrant, usually by the judge. "The judge can choose not to set bond or bail at that particular point in time and then leave it up to the discretion of the police and the police set bail until the person appears before court for the first time and then that issue is revisited," Narducci said. "Or, if it's an arrest by warrant, the judge can set bail on the warrant itself." If someone is arrested at the scene of the crime, Narducci said the police will set bail as well as the conditions of release. The conditions of release can be anything from a written promise to appear in court or their bail amount. If a person who was arrested on site cannot make bail, then the bail amount can be lowered by a bail commissioner. The defendant then appears in court and the issue of bail is addressed by the court. In court, the bail commissioner makes a recommendation regarding the defendant's bond amount. At that time, both the State's Attorney's Office and the Public Defender's Office let the costs for their services be known and the judge sets the conditions of release. "Sometimes that is just a promise to appear," Narducci said regarding the conditions of release. "Other times, it's a financial amount." Narducci said defendants can be released on their own recognizance for misdemeanor crimes. Exceptions include family violence cases and instances in which a defendant has expressed their intent not to return to court. A defendant is subject to additional penalties if they commit a crime while out on bail. The penalties depend on the nature of the crime. "If it's a narcotic trafficking crime vs. a possession crime, that would be a factor that the court will probably take into consideration," Narducci said. "If the judge put a condition that the person refrain from any drugs, not only would he be committing a crime, but he'd also be violating the conditions of release and that might factor in." Narducci noted that many people do not know the difference between bail and bond. 'There may be a difference without a distinction or a distinction without a difference,' Narducci said. 'They are treated pretty much interchangeably.' According to the Judicial Branch website, bail is the amount of money defendants must post to be released from custody while awaiting trial. The Judicial Branch states that the amount is set by police, pretrial services staff or judges to make sure that a person goes to court or returns to court if they are released after they have been arrested. A bond is posted on behalf of a defendant by a bail bond company if a defendant cannot pay the bail in its entirety, according to the Judicial Branch website. Narducci said that common terms and conditions for bonds are anything reasonably related to the underlying alleged offense. "For example, if it's a domestic violence type of matter, there could be a condition that you not threaten, harass or assault the particular victim," Narducci said. "There may be a condition that you stay away from the victim's residence or place of work." This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: How bail is set in Connecticut - a look at the judicial process
