Question

How is the age of a fossil determined?

   How is the age of a fossil determined?

Biology: Life on Earth with Physiology

Biology: Life on Earth with Physiology

Teresa Audesirk,… 11th Edition

Chapter 18, Problem 2

Instant Answer

Solved by Expert Danielle Aguilar

02/23/2022

Step 1

The first step in determining the age of a fossil is to identify the radioactive elements present in the fossil. These elements are naturally occurring and have been present since the formation of the fossil. Show more…

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How is the age of a fossil determined?

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Key Concepts

Index Fossils

These are fossils of organisms that lived during relatively short time spans but had wide geographical distributions. Their presence in rock layers helps correlate the age of different strata, serving as markers for identifying specific periods in geologic history.

Stratigraphy

The study of rock layers (strata) and their processes of formation. Stratigraphy is essential in fossil dating as it involves analyzing the sequence and position of layers to understand the chronological context of the fossils contained within them.

Radiometric Dating

This method determines the age of rocks and fossils by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes within them. By knowing the half-lives of these isotopes, scientists can calculate the elapsed time since the rock or fossil formed, providing an absolute age measurement.

Relative Dating

A technique that establishes the chronological order of fossils and rock layers without assigning a specific numerical age. It uses principles such as superposition and cross-cutting relationships to infer whether one layer is older or younger than another.

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