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.

The last holdouts of pagan Europe

KÄINA, ESTONIA–The little island of Muhu between Saaremaa and the Estonian mainland, had a large prehistoric population — much larger than it has today. The Muhu Estonians built a large fort of stone heaps near the western coast opposite S… Continue reading

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Wooster geologists return to Saaremaa and Muhu one last time

KÄINA, ESTONIA–Today the Wooster/OSU team crossed the strait between Hiiumaa and Saaremaa to visit some earlier sites one last time on this trip. The Ohio State paleontologists stayed on the northern part of Saaremaa to look for crinoids and Pan… Continue reading

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Quarry work continues on Hiiumaa

KÄINA, ESTONIA–It was a beautiful Baltic day in the Hilliste Quarry on Hiiumaa. Thunderstorms swept by us to the east, but we stayed dry and enjoyed the quickly-changing cloudscape. The Wooster/OSU team was again studying the Hilliste Formation … Continue reading

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Exploring the Estonian island of Hiiumaa

KÄINA, ESTONIA–The Wooster/OSU geology team took a break today from our usual field routine. We spent the morning consolidating notes and specimens (yes, that means the students slept very late) and then the afternoon seeing some of the major Hi… Continue reading

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What are the chances?

KÄINA, ESTONIA–Today the Wooster/OSU Estonia geology team had a day of sightseeing on Hiiumaa. (More on this later.) One of our stops was the Ristna Lighthouse on the Ristna Cape in the far northwest of the island. We walked out … Continue… Continue reading

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Another new Independent Study project appears: The Hilliste Formation paleoenvironments and paleoecology

KÄINA, ESTONIA–Today Jonah Novek officially began the fieldwork for his Independent Study research: a sedimentological and faunal analysis of the Hilliste Formation (Lower Silurian, Rhuddanian) on Hiiumaa Island, Estonia. Jonah will be continuin… Continue reading

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Wooster/OSU geologists move to another beautiful island with excess vowels: Hiiumaa

KÄINA, ESTONIA–The combined Wooster and Ohio State geology team left Saaremaa Island this morning and traveled to Hiiumaa Island to the north in our search for more Silurian outcrops and their associated fossils. We drove from Kuressaare to Trii… Continue reading

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A new Independent Study project is born: The Soeginina Beds at Kübassaare

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA–Wooster student Richa Ekka now has her Independent Study project. This is a big moment for a Wooster student: choosing the iconic capstone experience to complete the curriculum. Geologists always have delightful choices &#8212… Continue reading

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From east to west across Saaremaa Island’s Silurian

KURESSAARE, ESTONIA–The Wooster/OSU Estonia team continued to explore the Silurian section on Saaremaa Island today. It was our last day with our friend Olev Vinn, and he showed us the only remaining Silurian outcrop here I have not seen: Kübass… Continue reading

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: fusulinids (Upper Carboniferous of Kansas)

They look like little footballs, at least the American variety of football. Fusulinids (the name indicating the fusiform shape) are about the size and shape of wheat grains. They were marine protists (single-celled eucaryotes) that lived from the late … Continue reading

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