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.

Revisiting the Gironde Estuary for our last day of fieldwork in southwestern France

Mark Wilson June 7, 2017 6:07 am

La Barde, France — Today Paul Taylor, Macy Conrad (’18) and I had our last fieldwork in France for this expedition. We returned to sites along the eastern shore of the Gironde Estuary to study the Biron Formation (Campanian, Upper … Continue reading →

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A day of rocks and churches in southwestern France

Mark Wilson June 6, 2017 6:06 am

La Barde, France — This is our second-to-last day in southwestern France on this research expedition. Macy Conrad (’18), Paul Taylor (Natural History Museum, London) and I are continuing our study of sclerobionts on Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) oysters. I know … Continue reading →

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A day of collecting Cretaceous fossils on the southwestern coast of France

Mark Wilson June 5, 2017 6:05 am

La Barde, France — Today Team France returned to the Gironde Estuary on the southwest coast of France to study the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) fossiliferous limestones and marls. We visited new sites and some we scouted out last week. Above … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologists get to work in southwestern France

Mark Wilson June 4, 2017 6:04 am

La Barde, France — After a day of almost solid rain, we woke up the next morning to brilliant weather in southwestern France. Macy, Paul and I drove to the small town of Archiac, where we collected a bag full … Continue reading →

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A day of geology on the coast of southwestern France

Mark Wilson June 2, 2017 6:02 am

La Barde, France — Today we traveled west to the Gironde Estuary on the southwest coast to continue our survey of Campanian fossils. It looks like we will be working on the sclerobionts found with the extensive Pycnodonte oyster beds. … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologists begin fieldwork in southwestern France

Mark Wilson June 1, 2017 6:01 am

LA BARDE, FRANCE–Macy Conrad and I began our paleontological fieldwork in what may be the most beautiful part of Europe: southwestern France. Our superb guide and colleague is Natural History Museum scientist Dr. Paul Taylor, a long-time friend who has … Continue reading →

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A Wooster Geologist on the Somme Battlefield

Mark Wilson May 30, 2017 5:30 am

Amiens, France — I had two days between the bryozoan meeting in Vienna and the fieldwork in southwestern France, so I decided to visit the World War I battlefields in the Somme Valley of northern France. It was a somber … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologist in Vienna

Mark Wilson May 28, 2017 5:28 am

VIENNA, AUSTRIA — As is the tradition of Larwood meetings of the International Bryozoology Association, time is set aside for a guided tour of the most interesting parts of the host city. Given the incredible diversity of Vienna, we had … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologist in Austria

Mark Wilson May 27, 2017 5:27 am

VIENNA, AUSTRIA–I had the privilege this week to attend the 14th Larwood Symposium of the International Bryozoology Association (IBA) in this beautiful city. It was my first visit, and I was of course very impressed. Above is a view of … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: A trilobite hypostome with an encrusting cyclostome bryozoan (Upper Ordovician of Kentucky)

Mark Wilson May 26, 2017 12:01 am

A quick post this week. Above is a bit of a large isotelid trilobite my students and I found this past spring break on an expedition to the Upper Ordovician (Katian) of northern Kentucky. It was collected at a roadside outcrop … Continue reading →

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