author
Charles William Collinson
1923–2011
A longtime Illinois geologist and paleontologist, he helped make fossils and deep time approachable for everyday readers as well as specialists. His work ranged from technical studies of ancient microfossils to practical guides for beginners eager to start fossil hunting.
1 Audiobook
Field Book: Pennsylvanian Plant Fossils of Illinois
by Charles William Collinson, Romayne Skartvedt
About the author
Charles William Collinson was an American geologist, paleontologist, and science writer born on December 15, 1923, in Wichita, Kansas. A memorial published by the Geological Society of America says he joined the Illinois State Geological Survey in 1952 and retired in 1991 after a long research career centered on fossils and stratigraphy.
Early in his career, he became known for work on conodont biostratigraphy, a field that uses tiny fossil remains to help date and correlate rock layers. Later, he helped lead major work on the geology and stratigraphy of the Illinois Basin. Alongside his research, he also wrote for general readers, including Guide for Beginning Fossil Hunters and, with Romayne Skartvedt, Field Book: Pennsylvanian Plant Fossils of Illinois.
He died on November 25, 2011, in Champaign, Illinois. Remembered by colleagues as both a productive scientist and a generous guide to others, he left behind a body of work that connected professional geology with hands-on public interest in fossils.