The Fossil Record as Evidence for Evolution

Name _____________________________

What is your definition of a fossil?

Fossils Dating fossils

From Latin, fossus, having dug up.
Using relative dating, scientists can
look at where the fossils are in the earth
to determine how old they are. They
look at the sediments above and below a
fossil; this allows scientists to say that
an organism lived after one species
(found in the rock below it), and before
another species (found in the rock above
it).

Scientists also use absolute dating, to

measure the amount of radioactive
carbon in the fossil or nearby sediment.

The Fossil Record

Fossils as Evidence for Evolution

By dating fossils and examining the layers of the Earth,

scientists have been able to put together a time scale for the
history of life on earth.

The fossil record contains many examples that could be