Tag Archives: fossils

The Messel Fossil Pit: A world-class experience

FRANKFURT, GERMANY–Last year at this time I had the privilege of visiting the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale on an expedition led by my friend Matthew James of Sonoma State University in California. It was an extraordinary opportunity to visit one … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Geology and religion: le Grand Animal de Maastricht

MAASTRICHT, THE NETHERLANDS–Next month I am giving a talk on campus about evolution in a lecture series on “science and religion”. I was particularly intrigued, then, to hear a story about the famous mosasaur discovered in the Maastricht tunnels that … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

The best Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary yet

MAASTRICHT, THE NETHERLANDS–The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (K/T, or as I should be writing, the “Cretaceous-Paleogene” boundary, or K/Pg) has been one of the Wooster Geology themes this summer. We saw it in Alabama and Mississippi in May, and in Israel in … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Wooster Geologist in The Netherlands

MAASTRICHT, THE NETHERLANDS–This is the first day of the International Bryozoology Association post-conference field trip. We took a train south from Kiel to Hamburg, Germany, and then connected with another train to Cologne. After spending a half-hour at the Cologne … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The power of biostratigraphy: the Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary in the Late Cretaceous

KIEL, GERMANY–Comparing the two very different geological sections pictured above, you should ask how we know that they are precisely the same age. After all, they are thousands of miles apart and are quite different in their composition and fossil … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Cretaceous soft-bodied bryozoans from the western USA

KIEL, GERMANY–I gave my presentation to the International Bryozoology Association meeting this afternoon. It was a fun project because it involved two of my favorite things: working with Paul Taylor from the Natural History Museum and advising an Independent Study … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A bryozoan paradise in northern Japan

KIEL, GERMANY–One of the most interesting presentations at this meeting of the International Bryozoology Association, at least to a paleontologist, was by my friend Paul Taylor (Natural History Museum, London). He described a fauna of bryozoans which inhabited cobbles in … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Stony bryozoans get their day

KIEL, GERMANY–The first day of the International Bryozoology Association meeting is traditionally devoted to workshops where participants can listen to experts on a particular group, technique or idea and then ask questions, work out exercises, or study specimens. I went … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Wooster Geologist in Germany

KIEL, GERMANY–One of the many joys of being a geologist is attending international scientific meetings. They are always in some location that is convenient for travel and has local field areas the participants want to visit. I am here in … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Geysers, Mountains, and Dinosaurs…OH MY! (Subtitle: This Summer is Stromato-Tight)

Guest Blogger: Elizabeth Deering This summer I have been given many amazing opportunities starting with my employment at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Since late May I have been working with 7 other summer staff members giving tours, … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments