By allowing the establishment of geological timescales, it provides a significant source of information about the ages of fossils and the deduced rates of evolutionary change. Radiometric dating is also used to date archaeological materials, including ancient artifacts.

What is the advantage of radiometric dating over relative dating?

When the radioactive date contradicts the relative age as determined by the fossils the fossil date is always considered to be the better value. No geologist uses radioactive dating to do more than confirm dates established by the fossils using Darwins theory of descent with modification.

What are the advantages of radiocarbon dating?

As long as there is organic material present, radiocarbon dating is a universal dating technique that can be applied anywhere in the world. It is good for dating for the last 50,000 years to about 400 years ago and can create chronologies for areas that previously lacked calendars.

What are two problems with radiometric dating?

Here is yet another mechanism that can cause trouble for radiometric dating: As lava rises through the crust, it will heat up surrounding rock. Lead has a low melting point, so it will melt early and enter the magma. This will cause an apparent large age. Uranium has a much higher melting point.

Is relative dating precision is low?

Though relative dating can only determine the sequential order in which a series of events occurred, not when they occurred, it remains a useful technique. Relative dating by biostratigraphy is the preferred method in paleontology and is, in some respects, more accurate.