Author Archives: Mark Wilson

About Mark Wilson

Mark Wilson is an emeritus Professor of Geology at The College of Wooster. He specializes in invertebrate paleontology, carbonate sedimentology, and stratigraphy. He also is an expert on pseudoscience, especially creationism.

Wooster Geologists in Southwestern Utah (May 2018)

This month, our geological technician Nick Wiesenberg and I had the privilege of taking two Wooster Independent Study students into southwestern Utah to do research on the Carmel Formation (Middle Jurassic). The students were Ethan Killian (’19) on the left … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Wooster Geologists in Southwestern Utah (May 2018)

Science and culture on Team Jurassic Utah’s last day

Santa Clara, Utah — We spent our last full day in this beautiful state enjoying nature, visiting local historical sites, and ending with a fantastic museum. This morning began with a short journey through Snow Canyon State Park, which is … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Science and culture on Team Jurassic Utah’s last day

An oyster ball nursery and Veyo pies on our last field day in southwestern Utah

Santa Clara, Utah — When you want to sort out how something grows but can’t actually watch it do it, you look for examples of individuals in various developmental states. You can learn a lot about human growth, for example, … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on An oyster ball nursery and Veyo pies on our last field day in southwestern Utah

Zion National Park, and life in Santa Clara, Utah

Santa Clara, Utah — Visiting Zion National Park is an obvious activity for Team Jurassic Utah, considering it is made of beautiful Jurassic rocks. We took the opportunity today. Well, half of the team. Galen and I weren’t feeling well, … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Zion National Park, and life in Santa Clara, Utah

Team Jurassic Utah finishes essential data collection

Santa Clara, Utah — A dull but direct title. Every Independent Study advisor knows this critical point in the process: when your students have collected the data necessary to actually do their projects. With discovery-based science like ours on this … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Team Jurassic Utah finishes essential data collection

Jurassic hardgrounds and Holocene lava flows in southwestern Utah

Santa Clara, Utah — Team Jurassic Utah spent the day on Galen Schwartzberg’s Independent Study project, the sclerobionts of the Carmel Formation. We began with the above carbonate hardground at the appropriately named Hardground West (HW) locality. (Just a few … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Jurassic hardgrounds and Holocene lava flows in southwestern Utah

Wooster Geologist in Southwestern Utah (April 2018)

St. George, Utah — I visited southwestern Utah for a week to prepare for an Independent Study expedition next month to study the Carmel Formation (Middle Jurassic). I wanted to update locality information I had collected in the 1990s (ancient … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Wooster Geologist in Southwestern Utah (April 2018)

New article: Paleoecology of an Upper Ordovician submarine cave-dwelling bryozoan fauna and its exposed equivalents in northern Kentucky, USA

I’m happy to link to an article on Ordovician bryozoans that has just appeared in the Journal of Paleontology: Paleoecology of an Upper Ordovician submarine cave-dwelling bryozoan fauna and its exposed equivalents in northern Kentucky, USA It is work Caroline … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on New article: Paleoecology of an Upper Ordovician submarine cave-dwelling bryozoan fauna and its exposed equivalents in northern Kentucky, USA

Delightful fossils in the Middle Jurassic Carmel Formation on my last field day

St. George, Utah — Today I met Jerry Harris, Professor of Geology at Dixie State University in St. George. He was very friendly, generous and knowledgeable, guiding me to two fantastic Carmel outcrops I would not have approached on my … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Delightful fossils in the Middle Jurassic Carmel Formation on my last field day

Another day in the shallow Jurassic seas of southwestern Utah

St. George, Utah — Back to the Gunlock region for me to revisit old Carmel Formation research sites to check for access issues and new exposures. This trip has also given me a chance to update my images of the … Continue reading
Continue reading

Posted in ScotBlogs Contributed | Comments Off on Another day in the shallow Jurassic seas of southwestern Utah