2. Compare and contrast absolute and relative dating methods of assessing fossil age.


3. Which method(s) of fossilization is/are likely to retain genetic information of the organism?


4. If a paleontologist successfully identified a fossil as belonging to the Jurassic period, did he
use relative dating, absolute dating, or a combination of both? Explain.


5. You found a trilobite fossil and determined that this is the most recent (youngest possible)
trilobite. How old is the fossil?


6. In stratified sedimentary rock, you noticed that the fossil of a sea snail is deeper than the
fossil of a fish. Which organism is most likely the older? Why?


7. News flash! A scientist states he discovered a frozen baby mammoth in Siberia that lived
during the last ice age 12,000 years ago. The C-14 count is that of a living baby elephant
of similar size. Is his claim supported?