Carbon dating is used to determine the age of biological artifacts up to 50,000 years old. This technique is widely used on recent artifacts, but teachers should note that this technique will not work on older fossils (like those of the dinosaurs which are over 65 million years old).

What is the important of studying fossils?

Studying fossils helps them learn about when and how different species lived millions of years ago. Sometimes, fossils tell scientists how the Earth has changed. This tells scientists that millions of years ago, the rocks that became the Himalayas were at the bottom of the ocean.

Why are fossils so important?

Fossils are physical evidence of preexisting organisms, either plant or animal. Fossils of any kind are useful in reading the rock record, meaning they help us decipher the history of the earth. They can help us determine the geologic age and environment (the paleoenvironment) in which they were deposited.