Monthly Archives: August 2016

Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: Mystery fossil solution — an oyster from the Middle Jurassic of southern England

Last week I gave my students in Wooster’s Invertebrate Paleontology course a fossil to identify (shown above), using any techniques they want. This was their first task in the course, so it was difficult for most of them. I hope … Continue reading

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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: A puzzle for my paleo students!

Every year I start my Invertebrate Paleontology course by giving every student an “unknown” fossil to identify. (Here is last year’s version.) This is not always easy since each student gets the same species from the same horizon and with … Continue reading

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Wooster Geology’s 2016 Annual Report

Thanks to the hard work, skills and dedication of Administrative Coordinator Patrice Reeder, our 2016 annual report is now available.

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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: Another molluscan assemblage from the Miocene of Maryland (side two)

Last month we featured a fossil slab kindly donated by Dale Chadwick of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Dale is an enthusiastic fossil collector with a very useful website for his favorite sites and specimens. I promised to show the other side of … Continue reading

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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: Trepostome bryozoans, burrow systems, and bedding features in an Upper Ordovician limestone from southeastern Minnesota

One of the little mysteries on the recent Minnesota research trip by Wooster students, faculty and staff is the origin of thin limestone beds in the middle of the thick shales of the Decorah Formation (Upper Ordovician). How did such … Continue reading

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A mytilid bivalve from the Middle Jurassic of southern Israel

This week’s specimen comes from one of my favorite fossiliferous units: the Matmor Formation (Middle Jurassic, Callovian) of Makhtesh Gadol in southern Israel. I’ve been delighted by the fossils and lithologies of the Matmor since 2003. This particular fossil is … Continue reading

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Wooster Geologists in Minnesota

Four students, Geological Technician Nick Wiesenberg and Professor Mark Wilson (me!) have just completed eight days of geological fieldwork in the Upper Ordovician of southeastern Minnesota as part of Wooster’s Senior Independent Study program. The students are, from the left, … Continue reading

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A visit to the Dalles of St. Croix in Wisconsin

Rochester, Minnesota — On its last day in the field, Team Minnesota had a geological trip to the Dalles of St. Croix in Interstate State Park, Wisconsin and Minnesota. It was beautiful, and we practically had the place to ourselves, … Continue reading

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A wet cave and the Mighty Mississippi River

Rochester, Minnesota — Since Team Minnesota efficiently finished its fieldwork yesterday, we have two days before the students fly out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. The good weather has given us a gift of time, so we’re using it like … Continue reading

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