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Trace fossils are any evidences that an organism existed, including footprints, trails, burrows, chemical marker, and fossilized dung.

Index fossils are those that are only found in a specific range of geologic time, and are used to quickly determine the age of a sedimentary rock sample.

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What is the difference between trace fossil and index fossil?

A trace fossil is one that merely indicates that an organism left evidence of its existence. Some examples would be burrows or footprints that appear in sedimentary rock. An index fossil is of an organism that dates to a particular time in the geologic record, the organism only appearing in a certain segment of that record. Index fossils are indicators of the age of the rock in which they are found.


Explain how an index fossil can be used date rock.?

Index fossils are fossils of organisms that lived for a relatively short period of time but were widespread geographically. By identifying these index fossils in a particular layer of rock, scientists can determine the age of the rock and correlate it with other rock layers containing the same index fossils. This allows for the relative dating of rock layers based on the presence of specific index fossils.


What are index fossils and how are they used to determine the absolute age of sedimentary rock?

Index fossils can be used to help determine the relative age of rock layers. Index fossils are from species that only existed for a short time. Index fossils are found in rock layers. Trilobites and Graptolites are index fossils.


What are the types of fossils?

molds and casts, trace fossils, petrified wood, and carbon filmThe four types of fossils are mold fossils, cast fossils, true-form fossils, and trace fossils. Mold fossils are impressions from when the plant or animal first decomposed. Cast fossils are plant or animal remains. True-form fossils are remaining body parts from an animal. Trace fossils are marks that have been left by animal, such as footprints.


How index fossils can be used to determine the age of rocks?

Index fossils are used to date rocks by correlating the fossils found in the rock layers with known ages of those fossils. Index fossils are distinctive, widespread, and lived for a relatively short period of time. By identifying these fossils in a rock layer, scientists can infer the age of the rock based on the age range of the known fossil.

Related Questions

Tracks and dung are called fossils.?

Trace Fossils!


What is the difference between trace fossil and index fossil?

A trace fossil is one that merely indicates that an organism left evidence of its existence. Some examples would be burrows or footprints that appear in sedimentary rock. An index fossil is of an organism that dates to a particular time in the geologic record, the organism only appearing in a certain segment of that record. Index fossils are indicators of the age of the rock in which they are found.


What are index fossils and how are they used to determine the absolute age of sedimentary rocks?

Index fossils can be used to help determine the relative age of rock layers. Index fossils are from species that only existed for a short time. Index fossils are found in rock layers. Trilobites and Graptolites are index fossils.


How did print become trace fossils?

they become trace fossils because they made the prints


How did the prints become the trace fossils?

they become trace fossils because they made the prints


Fossil used to compare the relative ages of fossils?

Index fossils are used to compare the relative ages of fossils. These are fossils that are known to have lived during a specific time period, helping to date the rock layers in which they are found. By identifying and comparing index fossils, scientists can determine the relative ages of different rock layers and fossils.


What are index fossil and how are they used to determined the absolute age of sedimentary rock?

Index fossils can be used to help determine the relative age of rock layers. Index fossils are from species that only existed for a short time. Index fossils are found in rock layers. Trilobites and Graptolites are index fossils.


Is coal a trace fossils?

coal is not a trace fossil


Can fossils be trace fossils?

Indeed: a Trace Fossil is that of a burrow, footprint, coprolite, etc that's not a fossil of the animal itself that left the trace.


Sentence with the word trace fossils?

a fossil record shows what types of fossils there are


What is fossils organisms that lived a short period of time called?

They are called index fossils.


Is a dinosaur footprint in a rock called a trace fossil?

a dinosaur footprint is a trace fossil