While people are most familiar with carbon dating, carbon dating is rarely applicable to fossils. Carbon-14, the radioactive isotope of carbon used in carbon dating has a half-life of 5730 years, so it decays too fast. It can only be used to date fossils younger than about 75,000 years.

What 3 ways can fossils be dated?

The Dating GameIts All Relative. One way of dating fossils relies on their relative positions in the ground. Sedimentary Sleuths. When fossils are buried one on top of another, it is easy to arrange them in chronological order. Clocks In Rocks. Radiocarbon Dating. On The Level. Ash Analysis.

Which artifacts can be carbon dated?

The most suitable types of sample for radiocarbon dating are charcoal and well-preserved wood, although leather, cloth, paper, peat, shell and bone can also be used.

What is fossil carbon dating?

The study of stratigraphy enables scientists to determine the age of a fossil if they know the age of layers of rock that surround it. Scientists use carbon dating when determining the age of fossils that are less than 60,000 years old, and that are composed of organic materials such as wood or leather.