Asked by Why

What can radiometric dating tell?

the absolute age of a fossil


the relative age of a fossil


the transitional age of a fossil


the average age of a fossil

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Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The absolute age of a fossil.

Radiometric dating measures radioactive decay to give a numerical age (years) for rocks or minerals. Note: fossils themselves are often dated indirectly by dating volcanic layers above/below them; different isotopes work for different age ranges (e.g., C-14 ~ up to ~50,000 years; K-Ar, Ar-Ar, U-Pb for much older ages).