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How do scientists measure relative age of a fossil?

April 26, 2017age Astronomy Fossil Mathematics measure relative scientists

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How do scientists measure relative age of a fossil?

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There are several methods. The fossil of a bone is not the same as the bone itself. In a fossil, the original material has long since leached away and been replaced by minerals forming a stone replica. One dating method is radiometric dating, but not CARBON dating. Carbon radiometric dating is good only up to about 60,000 years ago. Almost all fossils are older than that and they have little or no carbon to date. For long time spans, there are heavier isotopes of elements to use for dating.