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’s Fossil of the Week: A Recent Sponge Boring from South Carolina

Mark Wilson May 13, 2016

We’re not actually looking at fossils here, but this bivalve-coral-sponge assemblage from the very modern Myrtle Beach in South Carolina is to cool not to share. Jacob Nowell (Wooster ’18) picked it up while on Spring Break this year and … Continue reading →
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A Wooster Geologist Visits Spangler Park

Mark Wilson May 9, 2016

Editor’s note: The following entry was written by Chloe Wallace (’17), a student in this year’s Sedimentology & Stratigraphy course. One of our writing assignments was to write a blog post about our recent field trip to Spangler Park (also … Continue reading →
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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A craniid brachiopod from the Upper Cretaceous of The Netherlands

Mark Wilson May 6, 2016

These striking little brachiopods are gifts from Clive Champion, a generous Englishman with whom I occasionally exchange packets of fossils. In January I received a surprise box with lots of delicious little brachs, including the two shown above. I remember … Continue reading →
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Wooster Geologists in the 2016 Wooster Senior Research Symposium

Mark Wilson April 29, 2016

WOOSTER, OHIO–A dozen Wooster Geologists participated today in the annual Wooster Senior Research Symposium: A Celebration of Independent Study! All did superb presentations that were very well received. The geology portion began in the morning with talks from Team Utah … Continue reading →
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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A terebratulid brachiopod from the Middle Jurassic of northwestern France

Mark Wilson April 29, 2016

We have another beautiful brachiopod this week from our friend Mr. Clive Champion in England. He sent me a surprise package of fossils earlier this year. They are very much appreciated by me and my students! The specimen above is … Continue reading →
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Sedimentology & Stratigraphy class in Wooster Memorial Park. Watch this space!

Mark Wilson April 23, 2016

This morning Wooster’s Sedimentology & Stratigraphy class visited Wooster Memorial (“Spangler”) Park for some field experience. A few of the students are shown above exploring a magnificent glacial deposit. I never did get a photo with all 21 students in … Continue reading →
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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A thoroughly encrusted rugose coral from the Upper Ordovician of southeastern Indiana

Mark Wilson April 22, 2016

It doesn’t look like much, this long lump of gray stone. With a close view you might pick up a hint of a bryozoan or two, but mostly we see rather shabby shades of grey. One of the coolest perks … Continue reading →
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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: An atrypid brachiopod from the Devonian of Spain

Mark Wilson April 15, 2016

Our featured fossil this week is another gift from brachiopod enthusiast Clive Champion of England. This fine specimen of Atrypa sp. was collected from the Middle Devonian (Lower Couvinian) exposed at El Pical, Leon, Spain. Atrypa is the emblematic genus … Continue reading →
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Dr. Patrick O’Connor gives the 35th annual Richard G. Osgood, Jr., Memorial lecture at Wooster

Mark Wilson April 14, 2016

WOOSTER, OHIO–It was our pleasure to host Dr. Patrick O’Connor of Ohio University, who presented the 35th Annual Richard G. Osgood, Jr., Memorial Lecture. The Osgood Lectureship was endowed in 1981 by the three sons of Dr. Osgood in memory … Continue reading →
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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A crinoid stem internal mold from the Lower Carboniferous of Ohio

Mark Wilson April 8, 2016

The Biology Department at The College of Wooster is in the midst of a massive move in advance of the construction of the new Ruth Williams Hall of Life Science. The staff has been combing through old specimen collections, giving … Continue reading →
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