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.

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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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: An encrusted and bored coral (maybe) from the Upper Ordovician of southeastern Indiana (Part II)

Mark Wilson April 1, 2016

Last week we looked at a dull gray rock found in a roadcut in southeastern Indiana near the town of Liberty. It is from the Saluda Formation (Upper Ordovician), a thin unit that was likely deposited in very shallow, lagoonal … Continue reading →
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Wooster Geologist Annette Hilton (’17) meets Lunar Geologist Harrison Schmitt

Mark Wilson March 29, 2016

Annette Hilton (’17) gave a talk this month at the 47th Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference, along with her summer internship advisor Julianne Gross of the American Museum of Natural History and Rutgers University. You can read the story of … Continue reading →
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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: An encrusted and bored coral (maybe) from the Upper Ordovician of southeastern Indiana (Part I)

Mark Wilson March 25, 2016

I found this lump of a gray rock in southeastern Indiana along a highway near the town of Liberty. It is from the Saluda Formation (Upper Ordovician), a thin unit that was likely deposited in very shallow, lagoonal waters along … Continue reading →
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Wildflowers of the Negev, 2016 version

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — One of my last posts from a trip into the Negev is a selection of flower images. (Here is the previous wildflower post. None of the blooms are the same.) I don’t know any of their … Continue reading →
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Last day of fieldwork in Israel: More Jurassic enjoyment

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — For my last day of fieldwork during this short Spring Break trip to Israel, I returned to Makhtesh Gadol to collect a bit more data from subunits 65 and 66 of the Matmor Formation (Middle Jurassic, … Continue reading →
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