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They found the bone in the rock. Scientists look at the rock and can tell the rocks age. They assume that the bone is about the same age as the rock it was foun
by polymatter 7y ago
They found the bone in the rock. Scientists look at the rock and can tell the rocks age. They assume that the bone is about the same age as the rock it was found inside.
- Yajirobe 7y agoAnd how did they determine the age of the rock?
- jcmoscon 7y agoScientists look at the bone and can tell the bones age. ((Just kidding))
- ralphhughes 7y agoThere are many methods of determining rock age. A common one is finding signature fossils that are known to only exist between certain ages. Putting the rock in a machine to record its magnetic field and correlating this with pole reversals on earth. Using isotope ratios (not just radiocarbon dating), chemical composition, identifying how the sediment was laid down by rivers or the sea etc.
- 8bitsrule 7y agoThis may be as close to ELI5 as it can be. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiometric_dating https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiometric_dating