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.

Folded rocks, volcanoes, and a little of the Old West

Mark Wilson March 12, 2013 7:44 pm

ZZYZX, CALIFORNIA–The spectacular set of folds above are exposed in the lower parking lot of Calico Ghost Town near Barstow, California. This is a famous site that has been visited by hundreds of geologists, but there are still many mysteries … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologists in ancient lakes

Mark Wilson March 11, 2013 11:51 pm

ZZYZX, CALIFORNIA–Today Team Mojave studied the remains of ancient lake systems in the dry, dry desert. Early in the morning we drove west from Zzyzx to the Harvard Road exit off Interstate 15 and took a series of sandy roads … Continue reading →

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Death Valley Days

Mark Wilson March 10, 2013 11:30 pm

DEATH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA–All geologists love Death Valley. No other place on Earth has such extraordinarily diverse geology combined with a modern infrastructure and a century of scientific study. The Wooster Geologists had a spectacular time in and around the valley … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A brittle star from the Upper Jurassic of Germany

Mark Wilson March 10, 2013 1:38 am

Wooster geologists have again greatly benefited from the donation of a collection by an alumnus. George Chambers (’79), a successful professional photographer, sent us several boxes of minerals, rocks and fossils he had acquired in his lifelong passion for geology. … Continue reading →

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Wooster Geologists return to the Mojave Desert

Mark Wilson March 9, 2013 9:31 pm

ZZYZX, CALIFORNIA–It is officially now a Wooster Geology tradition: every other year we take a Spring Break field trip with students, faculty and staff. So far all of our trips have been to the Mojave Desert, for reasons that will … Continue reading →

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One of the many diverse results of being a geology major: the adventures of Will Driscoll (’05) in evolutionary ecology

Mark Wilson March 6, 2013 10:38 am

WOOSTER, OHIO–Yesterday Greg Wiles and I attended a Biology Department Seminar given by our former student Will Driscoll (Geology ’05). Will was in all our standard departmental courses and did his Independent Study project with Dr. Wiles in dendrochronology. Yet … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: More bryozoan etchings and an African slug surprise

Mark Wilson March 3, 2013 1:45 am

This is the inside of a modern cockle shell (Dinocardium vanhyningi) found on a beach in Wilmington, North Carolina. Across the surface is a radiating series of pits, each of which was formed under a zooid of an encrusting cheilostome … Continue reading →

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The Dendrochronology Team of Wooster Geologists makes its television debut

Mark Wilson February 28, 2013 8:46 pm

“Barn Detectives” is a recent episode of the television show Our Ohio, and it features Dr. Greg Wiles and his team of crack dendrochronologists. You can view the video by clicking the link. It is very well done. The project … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A bryozoan etching (Upper Ordovician of Indiana)

Mark Wilson February 24, 2013 1:27 am

Another trace fossil of a sort this week. Above you see the dorsal valve exterior of a strophomenid brachiopod from the Upper Ordovician of southeastern Indiana. Across the surface is a network of grooves looking a bit like a spider … Continue reading →

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Celebrating the achievements of Wooster Geologists

Mark Wilson February 21, 2013 9:32 pm

WOOSTER, OHIO –One of the pleasures of being the chair of the Geology Department at Wooster is that I get to go to the annual college Awards Banquet with some of our best students. Tonight we celebrate three young women … Continue reading →

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