What are the different fossil dating methods ?

Hello Aspirant,

Basically there are two dating methods

• Absolute Dating- used to determine a precise age of a rock or fossil through radiometric dating  methods. This uses radioactive minerals that occur in rocks and fossils almost like a geological clock. It’s often much easier to date volcanic rocks than the fossils themselves or the sedimentary rocks they are found in.
• Relative Dating- Most of the time this fossil dating technique  is used to determine the used age. Using relative dating the fossil is compared to something for which an age is already known.

I hope it helps

Thank you

Hello Student ,

Dating Of Fossil Rocks: Fossil Can be dated by two methods mainly -

• Relative Dating
• Absolute Dating

Absolute Dating is of two main types

Radioactive Method - It can be done in three ways.In this method the stable form of radioactive element after decay can be used to figure out the age of fossil. Half-Life has to be known.

1. Radioactive Uranium Method - Half-Life period of the uranium is 4.5 billion years
2. Potassium Argon Method - Half-Life period of this radioactive isotope 1.3 billion years.
3. Radioactive Carbon Method - Half-Life period of this carbon is 5750 years

Electron Spin Resonance - Most advanced method. Accumulation of trapped electrons in minerals.More the trapped electron present, the older the sample.