How then are fossils dated?
Funny that you should ask. Dating fossils is not an exact science. Supposing that the scientist has only true fossils to go by (that is bones that have been fully mineralized) he would not be able to use radio-dating. The other method is to determine how far below the surface the fossil is residing, and assume a constant rate of 2mm per decade (or about the thickness of a nickle every 10 years). Obvious problems leap out of this item. The biggest flaw is correctly determining how far below the surface was the fossil. If its at the surface (as many fossils are discovered) then does that mean it was born yesterday? Clearly not, so erosion is magically accounted for. Next, if the earth has had tectonic movement (that is the giant land masses of the planet have moved over time) that causes some land masses to push-above or under a landmass, then again how to determine the distance from the surface? If it takes roughly a decade to increase the soil level by 2mm, then a dino-bone, say 12 thi
