Relative Dating of Fossils
Explore the principles of relative dating to understand the age of fossils and rock layers in this Grade 6 science worksheet.
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Relative Dating of Fossils
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. This worksheet will test your knowledge of relative dating and how scientists determine the age of fossils.
1. What principle states that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top?
Principle of Original Horizontality
Principle of Superposition
Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships
Principle of Faunal Succession
2. Relative dating helps scientists determine the age of rocks and fossils, not their exact age.
3. An fossil is a fossil that is widespread geographically and existed for a relatively short period of time, making it useful for dating rock layers.
4. Younger rock layers are always found beneath older rock layers.
True
False
5. Observe the image below. Which fossil (A, B, or C) is the oldest and why?
Match the term on the left with its definition on the right.
6. Superposition
a. The preserved remains or traces of organisms
7. Fossil
b. The process of determining if one rock or geologic event is older or younger than another
8. Relative Dating
c. Principle that states older layers of rock are found below younger layers
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