Category Archives: Uncategorized

Team Dorset finishes its fieldwork

Mark Wilson June 10, 2016 6:10 am

Sherborne, England — Cassidy Jester (’17), Tim Palmer and I today finished our fieldwork. Cassidy is now set for her Senior Independent Study project with plenty of specimens, observations, photographs and ideas to last the next 10 months. This morning … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A fracture-shaped bioerosion trace from the Pliocene of Cyprus

Mark Wilson June 10, 2016 12:01 am

This past semester I worked with three colleagues on a massive trace fossil review paper, which we hope meets success in the next month or so. My primary job on the team was to sort out bioerosion traces, especially those … Continue reading →

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Team Dorset makes a cryptic discovery

Mark Wilson June 9, 2016 6:09 am

Sherborne, England — It was a good day for Team Dorset. Cassidy Jester (’17) is shown above in Coombe Quarry near Mapperton, Dorset. She is standing on an erosion surface between the Comptocostosum Bed (Aalenian) below and Horn Park Ironshot … Continue reading →

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Snuffboxes! Team Dorset has a project

Mark Wilson June 8, 2016 6:08 am

Sherborne, England — Cassidy Jester (’17) now has a Senior Independent Study project: Origin and paleoecology of ferruginous oncoids (“snuffboxes”) from the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian) of southern England and northern France. (We’re not going to France; I have specimens I … Continue reading →

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Team Dorset closes in on a project

Mark Wilson June 7, 2016 6:07 am

Sherborne, England — Another gorgeous day of exploring in the Middle Jurassic of southern England. The weather and the companions could not be better. Today was our last day of reconnaissance and tomorrow Cassidy Jester (’17) begins her Independent Study … Continue reading →

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Jurassic cephalopod heaven in southwestern England

Mark Wilson June 6, 2016 6:06 am

Sherborne, England — Cassidy Jester (’17) and I are now at our main base in a bed and breakfast in northern Dorset. Our lodgings are a converted milking house on an estate with a beautiful view of the surrounding rolling … Continue reading →

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Team Dorset arrives in England

Mark Wilson June 5, 2016 6:05 am

Ilminster, Somerset, England — Little Team Dorset, consisting of Cassidy Jester (’17) and me, arrived today in England after a long journey of cars, planes and trains. As you can see from the above image of the Bristol Temple Meads … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: A bored Ordovician hardground from Ohio, and an introduction to a new paper on trace fossils and evolution

Mark Wilson June 3, 2016 12:01 am

Above is an image of a carbonate hardground (cemented seafloor) from the Upper Ordovician of Adams County, Ohio. It comes from the Bull Fork Formation and was recovered along State Route 136 north of Manchester, Ohio (Locality C/W-20). It is … Continue reading →

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What we learned in Climate Change (Geology 210, Spring 2016)

gwiles May 31, 2016 9:35 am

A dedicated group of geologists, physicists, archaeologists, political scientists, biologists, english and history majors joined forces to learn a bit about Climate Change in the natural laboratory of Northeast Ohio. Here they surround a glacial erratic in Secrest Arboretum of … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: Echinoderm holdfasts from the Upper Cambrian of Montana

Mark Wilson May 27, 2016 12:01 am

The white buttons above are echinoderm holdfasts from the Snowy Range Formation (Upper Cambrian) of Carbon County, southern Montana. They and their hardground substrate were well described back in the day by Brett et al. (1983). We have these specimens … Continue reading →

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