Relative Dating of Fossils
Explore the principles of relative dating and how they are used to determine the age of fossils and rock layers.
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Relative Dating of Fossils Worksheet
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Refer to the principles of relative dating when necessary.
1. Which principle states that in an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rock, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top?
Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships
Principle of Original Horizontality
Principle of Superposition
Principle of Faunal Succession
2. Fossils found in deeper rock layers are generally than those found in shallower layers.
3. An fossil is a fossil that is widespread geographically but existed for a relatively short period of geological time, making it useful for dating rock layers.
4. Observe the image below. If layer A is at the bottom and layer D is at the top, which layer is the oldest and why?
5. The Principle of Original Horizontality states that sedimentary layers are originally deposited in horizontal layers.
True
False
Match the principle of relative dating with its description.
6. Superposition
a. Younger features cut across older features
7. Original Horizontality
b. Sedimentary layers are deposited flat
8. Cross-Cutting Relationships
c. Oldest layers are at the bottom