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.

Tools of My Trade (At Least for Today)

Mark Wilson September 3, 2009 10:21 am

MAKHTESH GADOL, ISRAEL–The fieldwork could not have been better, although if you watched me all day in the desert sunlight you would have thought otherwise. After I hiked up into the Matmor Hills to find the right horizon, I spent … Continue reading →

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Returning to the Big Makhtesh

Mark Wilson September 2, 2009 12:38 pm

MAKHTESH GADOL, ISRAEL–During the afternoon Yoav and I drove to the center of this magnificent erosional crater to visit familiar sites and do some preliminary surveys. It was deliciously hot and dry — just the way I like it. I … Continue reading →

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Remains of a Jurassic Tropical Forest

Mark Wilson September 2, 2009 12:33 pm

MAKHTESH RAMON, ISRAEL–As part of a mine reclamation project in the Makhtesh Ramon National Park near Mitzpe Ramon, the ranger noticed large pieces of fossilized wood coming from the tailings of a bauxite mine which were being trucked to fill … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologist in Israel (Again)

Mark Wilson September 1, 2009 10:27 am

MITZPE RAMON, ISRAEL–I’m sitting here with a view of one of my favorite places: the little town of Mitzpe Ramon near the center of the Negev Desert in southern Israel. It is poised on the edge of Makhtesh Ramon, a … Continue reading →

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Wooster paleontologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology

Mark Wilson August 10, 2009 4:22 pm

DRUMHELLER, ALBERTA, CANADA–The last activity for our IPREP group this summer was a guided visit to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. David Lloyd, a paleontological technician at the museum, gave us a fantastic “behind the scenes” tour of the … Continue reading →

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Saying goodbye to the Canadian Rockies — for now

Mark Wilson August 10, 2009 1:28 pm

FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA–The IPREP team left the Canadian Rockies yesterday morning with many educational and research ideas, new friends, and thousands of photographs to be shared with students and colleagues. It was an extraordinary experience. We thank Matthew James of … Continue reading →

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Wooster geologist at Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Canada

Mark Wilson August 10, 2009 11:37 am

LAKE LOUISE, ALBERTA–On our free day the IPREP study group (this apparently means “International Paleontological Research Exchange Program”) drove to the spectacular Lake Louise in Banff National Park for a hike up the valley to the “Plain of Six Glaciers”. … Continue reading →

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Middle Cambrian stromatolites high in the Canadian Rockies

Mark Wilson August 9, 2009 11:23 pm

FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA–Our study group was fortunate to meet Whitey Hagadorn (Amherst College and Denver Museum of Natural History) and Sally Walker (University of Georgia) for a hike to an exposure of stromatolites in the Pika Formation (Middle Cambrian) … Continue reading →

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Mt. Stephen Trilobite Beds (Middle Cambrian)

Mark Wilson August 8, 2009 9:37 am

FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA–After a very steep and long climb, our little field party visited another restricted quarry of famous Middle Cambrian fossils: the Mt. Stephens Trilobite Beds. Charles Walcott also collected from this site when he was working on … Continue reading →

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The wondrous Burgess Shale

Mark Wilson August 7, 2009 9:57 am

FIELD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA–I stepped on Paleontological Holy Ground when I visited the Burgess Shale earlier this week. It is often cited as the most important fossil locality ever. I felt the historical as well as the scientific vibrations in … Continue reading →

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