Latest news with #JasonAnderson
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A chance discovery of a 350 million-year-old fossil reveals a new type of ray-finned fish
In 2015, two members of the Blue Beach Fossil Museum in Nova Scotia found a long, curved fossil jaw, bristling with teeth. Sonja Wood, the museum's owner, and Chris Mansky, the museum's curator, found the fossil in a creek after Wood had a hunch. The fossil they found belonged to a fish that had died 350 million years ago, its bony husk spanning nearly a metre on the lake bed. The large fish had lived in waters thick with rival fish, including giants several times its size. It had hooked teeth at the tip of its long jaw that it would use to trap elusive prey and fangs at the back to pierce it and break it down to eat. For the last eight years, I have been part of a team under the lead of paleontologist Jason Anderson, who has spent decades researching the Blue Beach area of Nova Scotia, northwest of Halifax, in collaboration with Mansky and other colleagues. Much of this work has been on the tetrapods — the group that includes the first vertebrates to move to land and all their descendants — but my research focuses on what Blue Beach fossils can tell us about how the modern vertebrate world formed. The modern vertebrate world is defined by the dominance of three groups: the cartilaginous fishes or chondrichthyans (including sharks, rays and chimaeras), the lobe-finned fishes or sarcopterygians (including tetrapods and rare lungfishes and coelacanths), and the ray-finned fishes or actinopterygians (including everything from sturgeon to tuna). Only a few jawless fishes round out the picture. This basic grouping has remained remarkably consistent — at least for the last 350 million years. Before then, the vertebrate world was a lot more crowded. In the ancient vertebrate world, during the Silurian Period (443.7-419.2 MA) for example, the ancestors of modern vertebrates swam alongside spiny pseudo-sharks (acanthodians), fishy sarcopterygians, placoderms and jawless fishes with bony shells. Armoured jawless fishes had dwindled by the Late Devonian Period (419.2-358.9 MA), but the rest were still diverse. Actinopterygians were still restricted to a few species with similar body shapes. By the immediately succeeding early Carboniferous times, everything had changed. The placoderms were gone, the number of species of fishy sarcopterygians and acanthodians had cratered, and actinopterygians and chondrichthyans were flourishing in their place. The modern vertebrate world was born. Blue Beach has helped build our understanding of how this happened. Studies describing its tetrapods and actinopterygians have showed the persistence of Devonian-style forms in the Carboniferous Period. Whereas the abrupt end-Devonian decline of the placoderms, acanthodians and fishy sarcopterygians can be explained by a mass extinction, it now appears that multiple types of actinopterygians and tetrapods survived to be preserved at Blue Beach. This makes a big difference to the overall story: Devonian-style tetrapods and actinopterygians survive and contribute to the evolution of these groups into the Carboniferous Period. But significant questions remain for paleontologists. One point of debate revolves around how actinopterygians diversified as the modern vertebrate world was born — whether they explored new ways of feeding or swimming first. The Blue Beach fossil was actinopterygian, and we wondered what it could tell us about this issue. Comparison was difficult. Two actinopterygians with long jaws and large fangs were known from the preceding Devonian Period (Austelliscus ferox and Tegeolepis clarki), but the newly found jaw had more extreme curvature and the arrangement of its teeth. Its largest fangs are at the back of its jaw, but the largest fangs of Austelliscus and Tegeolepis are at the front. These differences were significant enough that we created a new genus and species: Sphyragnathus tyche. And, in view of the debate on actinopterygian diversification, we made a prediction: that the differences in anatomy between Sphyragnathus and Devonian actinopterygians represented different adaptations for feeding. To test this prediction, we compared Sphyragnathus, Austelliscus and Tegeolepis to living actinopterygians. In modern actinopterygians, the difference in anatomy reflects a difference in function: front-fangs capture prey with their front teeth and grip it with their back teeth, but back-fangs use their back teeth. Since we couldn't observe the fossil fish in action, we analyzed the stress their teeth would experience if we applied force. The back teeth of Sphyragnathus handled force with low stress, making them suited for a role in piercing prey, but the back teeth of Austelliscus and Tegeolepis turned low forces into significantly higher stress, making them best suited for gripping. We concluded that Sphyragnathus was the earliest actinopterygian adapted for breaking down prey by piercing, which also matches the broader predictions of the feeding-first hypothesis. Substantial work remains — only the jaw of Sphyragnathus is preserved, so the 'locomotion-first' hypothesis was untested. But this represents the challenge and promise of paleontology: get enough tantalizing glimpses into the past and you can begin to unfold a history. As for the actinopterygians, current research indicates that they first diversified in the Devonian Period and shifted into new roles when the modern vertebrate world was born. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organisation bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Conrad Daniel Mackenzie Wilson, Carleton University Read more: We discovered a new fossil species of prehistoric fish It's less than 2cm long, but this 400 million year old fossil fish changes our view of vertebrate evolution A 380-million-year-old fossil 'fish' from Scotland has been discovered in Australia Conrad Daniel Mackenzie Wilson receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Ontario Student Assistance Program, and the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Chance discovery of 365-million-year-old fossil reveals new species
In 2015, two members of the Blue Beach Fossil Museum in Nova Scotia found a long, curved fossil jaw, bristling with teeth. Sonja Wood, the museum's owner, and Chris Mansky, the museum's curator, found the fossil in a creek after Wood had a hunch. The fossil they found belonged to a fish that had died 350 million years ago, its bony husk spanning nearly a metre on the lake bed. The large fish had lived in waters thick with rival fish, including giants several times its size. It had hooked teeth at the tip of its long jaw that it would use to trap elusive prey and fangs at the back to pierce it and break it down to eat. For the last eight years, I have been part of a team under the lead of palaeontologist Jason Anderson, who has spent decades researching the Blue Beach area of Nova Scotia, northwest of Halifax, in collaboration with Mansky and other colleagues. Much of this work has been on the tetrapods — the group that includes the first vertebrates to move to land and all their descendants — but my research focuses on what Blue Beach fossils can tell us about how the modern vertebrate world formed. Birth of the modern vertebrate world The modern vertebrate world is defined by the dominance of three groups: the cartilaginous fishes or chondrichthyans (including sharks, rays and chimaeras), the lobe-finned fishes or sarcopterygians (including tetrapods and rare lungfishes and coelacanths), and the ray-finned fishes or actinopterygians (including everything from sturgeon to tuna). Only a few jawless fish round out the picture. This basic grouping has remained remarkably consistent, at least for the last 350 million years. Before then, the vertebrate world was a lot more crowded. In the ancient vertebrate world, during the Silurian Period (443.7-419.2 MA) for example, the ancestors of modern vertebrates swam alongside spiny pseudo-sharks (acanthodians), fishy sarcopterygians, placoderms and jawless fishes with bony shells. Armoured jawless fishes had dwindled by the Late Devonian Period (419.2-358.9 MA), but the rest were still diverse. Actinopterygians were still restricted to a few species with similar body shapes. By the immediately succeeding early Carboniferous times, everything had changed. The placoderms were gone, the number of species of fishy sarcopterygians and acanthodians had cratered, and actinopterygians and chondrichthyans were flourishing in their place. The modern vertebrate world was born. A sea change Blue Beach has helped build our understanding of how this happened. Studies describing its tetrapods and actinopterygians have showed the persistence of Devonian-style forms in the Carboniferous Period. Whereas the abrupt end-Devonian decline of the placoderms, acanthodians and fishy sarcopterygians can be explained by a mass extinction, it now appears that multiple types of actinopterygians and tetrapods survived to be preserved at Blue Beach. This makes a big difference to the overall story: Devonian-style tetrapods and actinopterygians survive and contribute to the evolution of these groups into the Carboniferous Period. But significant questions remain for palaeontologists. One point of debate revolves around how actinopterygians diversified as the modern vertebrate world was born — whether they explored new ways of feeding or swimming first. The Blue Beach fossil was actinopterygian, and we wondered what it could tell us about this issue. Comparison was difficult. Two actinopterygians with long jaws and large fangs were known from the preceding Devonian Period (Austelliscus ferox and Tegeolepis clarki), but the newly found jaw had more extreme curvature and the arrangement of its teeth. Its largest fangs are at the back of its jaw, but the largest fangs of Austelliscus and Tegeolepis are at the front. These differences were significant enough that we created a new genus and species: Sphyragnathus tyche. And, in view of the debate on actinopterygian diversification, we made a prediction: that the differences in anatomy between Sphyragnathus and Devonian actinopterygians represented different adaptations for feeding. Front fangs To test this prediction, we compared Sphyragnathus, Austelliscus and Tegeolepis to living actinopterygians. In modern actinopterygians, the difference in anatomy reflects a difference in function: front-fangs capture prey with their front teeth and grip it with their back teeth, but back-fangs use their back teeth. Since we couldn't observe the fossil fish in action, we analysed the stress their teeth would experience if we applied force. The back teeth of Sphyragnathus handled force with low stress, making them suited for a role in piercing prey, but the back teeth of Austelliscus and Tegeolepis turned low forces into significantly higher stress, making them best suited for gripping. We concluded that Sphyragnathus was the earliest actinopterygian adapted for breaking down prey by piercing, which also matches the broader predictions of the feeding-first hypothesis. Substantial work remains — only the jaw of Sphyragnathus is preserved, so the 'locomotion-first' hypothesis was untested. But this represents the challenge and promise of palaeontology: get enough tantalising glimpses into the past and you can begin to unfold a history. As for the actinopterygians, current research indicates that they first diversified in the Devonian Period and shifted into new roles when the modern vertebrate world was born. Conrad Daniel Mackenzie Wilson is a PhD candidate in Earth Sciences at Carleton University.
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Who will win Stanley Cup? Picks, predictions for Panthers-Oilers Final
Who will win Stanley Cup? Picks, predictions for Panthers-Oilers Final Show Caption Hide Caption Are Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup bound? Former NHLer weighs in Former NHL winger Riley Cote explains what he loves about this Edmonton Oilers team ahead of the Western Conference Finals. Sports Seriously The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are meeting for the second year in a row in the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers won in seven games last season in a seesaw series, but the Oilers will have home-ice advantage this year. Florida defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games, the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games and the Carolina Hurricanes in five games. The Panthers lost the first two games against Toronto before rallying. Edmonton defeated the Los Angeles Kings in six games, the Vegas Golden Knights in five games and the Dallas Stars in five games. The Oilers lost the first two games against the Kings before rallying. Who will win this year's championship and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP? USA TODAY Sports' Jason Anderson, Mike Brehm and Jace Evans weigh in. Stanley Cup Final predictions Jason Anderson: Oilers in 7. If, when the playoffs began, you told me we'd see a Stanley Cup rematch, this prediction would have probably been Panthers in five or six. Florida has talent on all lines, Sergei Bobrovsky is Sergei Bobrovsky and they have the edge in terms of being fine-tuned for playoff hockey. However, there's something to the Oilers right now that goes beyond "they're the team that has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl." Edmonton held the Dallas Stars to 17 shots in an elimination game, showing top-to-bottom poise, and Mattias Ekholm came back back to bolster the defense as well. This Panthers team will be back, but for the first time since 1993, the Cup is heading to Canada. Conn Smythe winner: McDavid, Oilers Mike Brehm: Panthers in 6. The Oilers are better than they were last season, but the Panthers are also deeper than in 2024. They lack home-ice advantage for a fourth consecutive round, but they've done well without it, scoring five or more goals in their last five road games. As well as the Oilers are locking it down defensively, the Panthers' hard-forechecking style can force a team into mistakes. Looking back, my preseason pick for the Stanley Cup champion was the Oilers. I won't be surprised if they win, but Florida should become a repeat champion. Conn Smythe winner: Aleksander Barkov, Panthers Jace Evans: Oilers in 6. The Panthers are basically a perfect playoff team, so it won't be surprising if they repeat. But Edmonton has the two best players in this series in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and I remain steadfast in my belief they will lead the Oilers to a championship. Still, the Oilers no longer rely just on them. The depth has come through these playoffs – though losing Zach Hyman hurts – and, even more important, the Oilers have shown incredible shutdown ability. That defensive play (that in theory could even improve with Mattias Ekholm back) will be the difference. Conn Smythe winner: Draisaitl, Oilers Stanley Cup Final schedule All times Eastern; (x-if necessary) Game 1: Wednesday, June 4 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Wednesday, June 4 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Game 2: Friday, June 6 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m | TNT, truTV Friday, June 6 | Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m | TNT, truTV Game 3: Monday, June 9, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Monday, June 9, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Game 4: Thursday, June 12, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Thursday, June 12, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV x-Game 5: Saturday, June 14, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Saturday, June 14, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV x-Game 6: Tuesday, June 17, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV Tuesday, June 17, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV x-Game 7: Friday, June 20, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV How to stream Stanley Cup Final Stanley Cup Final games can be streamed on Sling TV and Max.
Business Upturn
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
AtWork Opens New Location in Ogden Under Leadership of Local Staffing Veteran, Jason Anderson
By GlobeNewswire Published on May 20, 2025, 19:30 IST OGDEN, Utah, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AtWork ®, the nation's leading staffing franchise for empowering job seekers and facilitating company growth, has opened its newest location in Ogden, Utah, at 4872 S. 1900 W. near Riverdale Road under the ownership of local resident, Jason Anderson. Jason Anderson is a seasoned staffing-industry professional with 30 years of experience under his belt. Jason began his career in recruiting immediately after graduating from the University of Utah and worked his way up to regional vice president for a major staffing company, overseeing locations across multiple states. Driven by the belief that staffing is one of the most rewarding industries, he has dedicated his career to supporting individuals and communities. As he takes this step into business ownership, he is grateful to share this journey with his wife, five children and six grandchildren. 'Staffing is unique because our work opens doors for people to achieve their goals,' said Jason. 'It's incredibly rewarding to make a real impact, not just for individuals, but for the entire community. With AtWork, I have the opportunity to deliver exceptional support to the businesses and job seekers in Ogden, a city I know well and have been part of for much of my life.' For more than three decades, AtWork's mission has been to connect people with jobs and jobs with people. With more than 100 locations nationwide, AtWork puts nearly 50,000 individuals to work each year in administrative, light-industrial, accounting and finance, hospitality, IT and management-level positions at some of the nation's largest and most recognizable companies. 'We're proud to open our doors in Ogden, providing a trusted resource for job seekers and growing businesses in the area,' said Jason Leverant, President and COO of AtWork. 'AtWork Ogden will serve as a key player in helping employees thrive, businesses prosper and communities flourish. Jason is the perfect partner to champion our mission and lead with a locally owned and operated approach.' AtWork Ogden is located at:4872 South 1900 WestRoy, UT 84067 (801) 436-6679 For more information, visit . ### ABOUT ATWORK: Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, AtWork is an award-winning staffing franchise with over 100 locations worldwide. Recognized by Franchise Business Review as a Top 200 Franchise; Entrepreneur® as a Top 500 and Top Franchise for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Franchise Times Top 400 Franchise; Staffing Industry Analyst as the Best Staffing Firms to Work for; and as Clearly Rated's Best of Staffing® for Client Satisfaction and Talent Satisfaction, AtWork can staff an entire production facility or provide temporary help around the office. For more than 30 years, leading companies from across the nation have trusted AtWork to recruit the best talent. AtWork has all of your staffing needs covered. To learn more about our services, visit . Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AtWork Opens New Location in Ogden Under Leadership of Local Staffing Veteran, Jason Anderson
Employment Services Now Available for Local Job Seekers And Businesses OGDEN, Utah, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AtWork®, the nation's leading staffing franchise for empowering job seekers and facilitating company growth, has opened its newest location in Ogden, Utah, at 4872 S. 1900 W. near Riverdale Road under the ownership of local resident, Jason Anderson. Jason Anderson is a seasoned staffing-industry professional with 30 years of experience under his belt. Jason began his career in recruiting immediately after graduating from the University of Utah and worked his way up to regional vice president for a major staffing company, overseeing locations across multiple states. Driven by the belief that staffing is one of the most rewarding industries, he has dedicated his career to supporting individuals and communities. As he takes this step into business ownership, he is grateful to share this journey with his wife, five children and six grandchildren. 'Staffing is unique because our work opens doors for people to achieve their goals,' said Jason. 'It's incredibly rewarding to make a real impact, not just for individuals, but for the entire community. With AtWork, I have the opportunity to deliver exceptional support to the businesses and job seekers in Ogden, a city I know well and have been part of for much of my life.' For more than three decades, AtWork's mission has been to connect people with jobs and jobs with people. With more than 100 locations nationwide, AtWork puts nearly 50,000 individuals to work each year in administrative, light-industrial, accounting and finance, hospitality, IT and management-level positions at some of the nation's largest and most recognizable companies. 'We're proud to open our doors in Ogden, providing a trusted resource for job seekers and growing businesses in the area,' said Jason Leverant, President and COO of AtWork. 'AtWork Ogden will serve as a key player in helping employees thrive, businesses prosper and communities flourish. Jason is the perfect partner to champion our mission and lead with a locally owned and operated approach.' AtWork Ogden is located at:4872 South 1900 WestRoy, UT 84067(801) 436-6679 For more information, visit ### ABOUT ATWORK: Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, AtWork is an award-winning staffing franchise with over 100 locations worldwide. Recognized by Franchise Business Review as a Top 200 Franchise; Entrepreneur® as a Top 500 and Top Franchise for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Franchise Times Top 400 Franchise; Staffing Industry Analyst as the Best Staffing Firms to Work for; and as Clearly Rated's Best of Staffing® for Client Satisfaction and Talent Satisfaction, AtWork can staff an entire production facility or provide temporary help around the office. For more than 30 years, leading companies from across the nation have trusted AtWork to recruit the best talent. AtWork has all of your staffing needs covered. To learn more about our services, visit CONTACT: Halleigh Woods halleigh@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
