Fossil Dating

Technique used to determine the actual age of a fossil on the basis of the amount of radioactive element it contains

• radioactive dating

• absolute dating

• natural dating

• relative dating

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NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Certain kinds of shells are always found in rock layers lower than layers with plant fossils. Dinosaur fossils show up only in layers above or with plant fossils. What does this tell you about when these organisms lived?

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Answer explanation

Organisms with shells were oldest, plants next, and dinosaurs more recent. The dinosaurs and plants lived at the same time.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What information would you need to find a more precise age of dinosaurs and plants?

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Answer explanation

The age of the sedimentary rock that the fossils were found in, as determined by absolute or radioactive dating.

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which fossil would make the best index fossil?

• Beetle

• Flower

• Frog

• Fish

If fossils in layer D are 100 million years old and in layer B they are 110 million years old, how old might are the fossils in layer C? Choose the best answer.

• 90 million years old

• 120 million years old

• 105 million years old

• 50 million years old

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

How do the methods used to date fossils help in understanding the timeline of life on Earth?

• They allow for the precise measurement of the Earth's age

• They help correlate layers of rock with periods of time and evolutionary events

• They provide exact dates for all events in Earth's history

• They are only used for dating human artifacts

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DOK Level 4: Extended Thinking

How do we measure the age of a fossil in years?

• variation

• absolute dating

• selection

• mutation

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

The order of rock ________ help paleontologists tell how old a fossil is relative to another.

• strata

• molds

• types

• casts

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NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which method is commonly used to date fossils?

• Carbon dating

• Thermometer testing

• Using a calendar

• Measuring the height of the fossil

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DOK Level 1: Recall

Match the following

• half-life

• used to determine the actual age of a fossil

• absolute dating

• determine fossil age by comparing its placement in layers of rock

• relative dating

• length of time required for half of the radioactive isotope to decay

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4