Category Archives: Uncategorized

Wooster’s Pseudofossil of the Week: Manganese dendrites from Germany

Mark Wilson January 20, 2013 1:33 am

We haven’t had a pseudofossil in this space for awhile. A pseudofossil is an object that is often mistaken for a fossil but is actually inorganic. The above may look like  fossil fern, but it is instead a set of … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A glass sponge from the Upper Ordovician of southern Ohio

Mark Wilson January 13, 2013 1:47 am

Like all those who teach, I learn plenty from my students, sometimes with a simple question. Richa Ekka (’13) asked me last semester during a paleontology lab if the above specimen was really a trace fossil as I had labeled … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A conulariid from the Upper Ordovician of Indiana

Mark Wilson January 6, 2013 1:03 am

This week’s fossil is not technically impressive: it is a rather modestly preserved conulariid from the Waynesville Formation of southern Indiana (location C/W-111). It is notable because it is one of the very few conulariids I’ve found in the Ordovician, … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossils of the Week: Episkeletozoans from the Middle Jurassic of Israel

Mark Wilson December 30, 2012 1:55 am

Last week I had a delightful research afternoon with my former student Lisa Park Boush, now a professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science at The University of Akron, and currently Program Director, National Science Foundation, Sedimentary Geology … Continue reading →

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Wooster’s Fossil of the Week: A swimming clam from the Pliocene of Cyprus

Mark Wilson December 23, 2012 1:20 am

In the summer of 1996, I was a co-director of a Keck Geology Consortium project in Cyprus. One of my students was Steve Dornbos (’97), now a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. We had a great time exploring the Nicosia … Continue reading →

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A spectacular glaciated valley near Ardara, County Donegal, Ireland

Mark Wilson December 20, 2012 4:51 pm

DONEGAL, IRELAND — One last post from a great day in the Irish countryside. The above is Glengesh Pass, with the town of Ardara in the background. Glengesh means “Glen of the Swans”. On the south side (right in this … Continue reading →

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Slieve League, County Donegal, Ireland

Mark Wilson December 20, 2012 4:36 pm

DONEGAL, IRELAND — The above peak sweeping precipitously down into a raging sea is the smaller of the exposures at Slieve League along the southern coast of County Donegal. These are the highest sea cliffs in Ireland, and among the … Continue reading →

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The Grianán of Aileach

Mark Wilson December 20, 2012 3:46 pm

DONEGAL, IRELAND — In the northeastern part of the county, about 7 km west of Derry in Northern Ireland, is Greenan Mountain. On its very top is a spectacular ringfort called The Grianán of Aileach (“the Solarium of Aileach”, shown … Continue reading →

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The wild northwest of Ireland

Mark Wilson December 19, 2012 1:28 pm

DONEGAL, IRELAND — Above is an image of Donegal Bay at sunset. It is striking with its still water, wheeling gulls and glacially-rounded rocky islands. I am in County Donegal for a couple of days simply to see the place … Continue reading →

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Three Amigos in Dublin

Mark Wilson December 18, 2012 6:04 pm

DUBLIN, IRELAND — I have paleontological legends on either side of me, and the best of friends. Paul Taylor is on the left. He and I met in 1985 when I visited The Natural History Museum in London while on … Continue reading →

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