Rock Layers & Relative Dating
Science · Dinosaurs & Paleontology · conceptual
Understand that rock layers (strata) form in sequence with the oldest at the bottom and the youngest at the top, and that fossils found in deeper layers are older — this is the principle of relative dating
What mastery looks like
- Explain that sedimentary rock forms in layers with the oldest at the bottom
- Use a diagram of rock strata to determine which fossil is older based on its position
- Define relative dating as working out the age of something by comparing its position in rock layers
Check your understanding
If Rock Layers & Relative Dating saw a cliff with layers of rock, could they explain that the bottom layers are the oldest and that fossils found deeper down lived longer ago?
Prerequisites
Required first
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