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 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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My neighborhood in Mitzpe Ramon, southern Israel

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — Some images from the little town in the Negev where I spend my nights. I like being based here because my students and I are central to all of our diverse geological localities. It is also … Continue reading →
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A geological obstacle course in Ada Canyon, southern Israel

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — As part of our Shabbat trip today, Yoav Avni wanted to take me up Ada Canyon (N30.32973°, E34.91417°) to explore the Hazeva (Miocene) and Arava (Pleistocene). He cryptically said, “There will be places we can barely … Continue reading →
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A Shabbat trip to Be’er Ada in the southern Negev

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — Yoav Avni and I have a tradition on Shabbat. We drive somewhere to explore interesting geology and history unconnected to current projects. It’s not really work — it’s geotourism. We are, though, always talking about new … Continue reading →
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At some point you must start collecting data

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — Today my friend Yoav Avni (Geological Survey of Israel) and I returned to Makhtesh Gadol to pursue a project with Subunit 65 of the Matmor Formation (Callovian, Middle Jurassic). You may recall this limestone contains an … Continue reading →
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Paleontological heaven in the northern part of Makhtesh Gadol

Mark Wilson March 22, 2016

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL — Today I spent quality time with two Israeli students and some of the most interesting fossils in the world. Yael Leshno and Or Eliasson, students at Hebrew University, joined me for a walking journey through the … Continue reading →
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