Fossils

• A fossil is the preserved remains • Fossils are found in sedimentary

or imprints of ancient organisms.
• Someone who studies fossils is
called a paleontologist.
rock formed when sand and silt
settle to the bottom of water.
• Not all animals turn are
fossilized, why?
• Do you think we have a
complete fossil record?
Determining ages of Fossils
• Relative dating-
• Looks at the layer of the earth
they are found.
• The oldest fossils will be deeper.
• Radioactive dating
• Determined by remaining
radioactive isotopes the fossil
contains.
Radioactive Dating
• What is an isotope?
• Scientists estimate the age of
fossils by analyzing the isotope
in the rock around fossils.
• Some isotopes are radioactive
and undergo radioactive decay.
Half-life
• During radioactive decay, the
isotope gives off particles and
energy changing its identity to a
different element.
• It occurs during a constant rate,
called its half life.
• Radioactive potassium (40K) decays to
produce argon gas. Its half-life is 1.3
billion years.
• The half-life of an element is the time
it takes for half of the atoms in a
sample to undergo radioactive decay.
Ways to determine ages of fossils.
• K-Ar dating
• Scientists looks at the age of
rocks and fossils that are
found near them are
assumed to be the same age.
Solve:
8g of 14C in a fossil and 16g in
living org. How old?
3g 14C in a fossil and 12g 12C. .
• Radiocarbon dating
• Living org. absorb12C and 14C.
The ratio is constant.
• When org. dies it no longer
absorbs C. 14C (radioactive)
begins to decay and decreases
while 12C (non-radioactive) stays
the same.
• 14C half-life every 5600 years.
Look at ratio of 14C to 12C and
compare to living org.