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There are layers of earth that are deposited over time and based on where a fossil is in the layers a scientist can understand what the age of the fossil is relevant to another fossil in a different layer of earth. The law of superposition says that new sediment is deposited on top of old sediment so, the sediment in the bottom layer is the oldest and the sediment at the top is the youngest.
Because of this the fossils in the bottom layer are the oldest and the fossils near the top are the youngest. Say you have 10 layers of rock, and the top layer is number 1 (the youngest) and the bottom layer is number 10 (the oldest). Even if a scientist can't tell exactly how old a fossil is if they know it is in a layer deeper than another fossil they know it is older than that fossil so, a fossil from layer 9 is older than a fossil from layer 5 which is also older than a fossil from layer 3. This is relative age.
If we take it a step further... If a scientist knows that the fossil in layer 4 is 65 million years old than we not only know the fossils in layer 5-10 are older than the one in layer 4, but that they are all older than 65 million years old. So, the fossils in layer 1-3 would be less than 65 million years old. Scientists can know how old a specific fossil is sometimes based on whether or not it is an index fossil (a fossil that only occurred during a very small, specific interval of time), or if it is possible to carbon date it or something in the same layer.
What else can I help you with?
How scientists estimate the age in years of a fossil?
Scientists can use carbon dating to determine the age of a fossil.
How do scientists determine age?
by seeing what levels the fossil go to
What two major developments helped scientists explain the fossil record?
The theory of evolution by natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin, helped scientists understand the gradual change of species over time recorded in the fossil record. Additionally, advances in radiometric dating techniques provided scientists with the ability to determine the age of fossils more accurately, allowing for a deeper understanding of the timeline of life on Earth.
What do scientists use to determine a fossil's relative age?
Carbon14 dating (isotopic dating)
Does scientists understand tornadoes?
In fact ,they do! Emma age 6
How the age of plant and animal fossils is determined?
The age of a plant or animal in a fossil is determined by radiocarbon dating. This means scientists measure the amount of a special type of carbon in the fossil, to determine the date.
A fossil found under a layer of rock is usually?
older than the rock layer above it and can provide information about the time period in which it lived and the environmental conditions at that time. This helps scientists estimate the age of the rock layers and understand the history of the area where the fossil was found.
How do you tell how old a fossil is by the rock layer?
You can determine the relative age of a fossil by looking at the position of the fossil in the rock layers. The closer a fossil is to the surface, the younger it is relative to fossils found deeper in the layers. To determine the absolute age of a fossil, scientists use radiometric dating techniques on the surrounding rocks to determine the age of the rock layer the fossil is found in.
How do scientists use sedimentary rock to determine a fossils relative age?
Scientists can use sedimentary rock to determine a fossil's relative age by examining the layers in which the fossil is found. The principle of superposition states that in an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layer is at the bottom and the youngest layer is at the top. By identifying the layer in which the fossil is located, scientists can approximate its relative age compared to other fossils and rock layers.
What do scientists use to calculate age when a fossil is too old for carbon dating?
Scientists use techniques such as uranium-lead dating or potassium-argon dating to determine the age of fossils that are too old for carbon dating. These methods rely on the radioactive decay of specific isotopes within the rocks surrounding the fossil to estimate its age.
Can fossil age determine organism changes related to the time scale?
The discovery of a fossil's age can be determined through methods involving radiometric dating. Fossils must then be compared to other organisms of that time period to determine changes to it.
Used to date fossils in rocks to give an approximate age?
Radiometric dating is used to determine the age of fossils in rocks by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes, such as carbon-14 or uranium-238, in the fossil. By comparing the amounts of the parent and daughter isotopes present in the fossil, scientists can calculate the age of the fossil. This method provides an approximate age of the fossil based on the rate of radioactive decay.
