The fossil record helps paleontologists, archaeologists and geologists place important events and species in the corresponding geological era. It is based on the law of superposition, which states that in undisturbed rock sequences, the lower layers are older than the upper layers. Therefore, some discovered fossils can be dated according to the layers, a particular layer of rock, in which they are found. Another common way to date fossils is radiocarbon dating. The development of this type of dating in the 1950s changed paleontology and improved the accuracy of the fossil record. With each new fossil discovery, our understanding of the environment is enriched in a given time. Use these resources to teach middle school students more about the fossil record and radiocarbon dating.
