There are two main methods determining a fossils age, relative dating and absolute dating.There are two main methods determining a fossils age, relative dating and absolute dating

What methods can be used to date dinosaur remains?

Fossil age is determined using two methods, relative dating and absolute dating. In relative dating, fossils are compared to similar fossils and rocks, the ages of which are known. Absolute dating, on the other hand is used to calculate the precise age of fossils through radiometric dating.

How old is a crinoid fossil?

Crinoids are marine animals belonging to the phylum Echinodermata and the class Crinoidea. They are an ancient fossil group that first appeared in the seas of the mid Cambrian, about 300 million years before dinosaurs. They flourished in the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic eras and some survive to the present day.

Are crinoids rare?

The oldest crinoids are found in rocks of Cambrian age. They are common in the Paleozoic Era but not in younger time periods, perhaps because of the presence of more predators in marine communities. They are relatively rare in todays oceans.

Is it a fossil or a shell?

Fossils are heavier than shells as they are formed on a rock. You can try to match up the unique markings on the shell with glossaries found online on natural history museum websites to try to work out what type of animal left the marking. Ammonites are not the only shell fossils.

What is the oldest shell?

An 18,000-year-old large conch shell overlooked in a French museum for 90 years has being named the oldest known seashell instrument in the world by archaeologists. The rudimentary wind instrument still works, producing a deep, plaintive bleat.