use the information to answer the question. micah lives near some small cliffs. one day he finds a fossil in…

use the information to answer the question. micah lives near some small cliffs. one day he finds a fossil in a layer of sedimentary rock. he does not know what kind of fossil it is or how old it is. he wants to know more about the fossil. how can micah best estimate how old the fossil is? a. compare the fossil to organisms alive today and identify differences. b. observe the characteristics of the fossil and other fossils in the same rock layer. c. calculate how long it would take geologic processes to form the rock layer with the fossil. d. compare the position of the fossil with the positions of any surrounding rock layers that have known ages.

use the information to answer the question. micah lives near some small cliffs. one day he finds a fossil in a layer of sedimentary rock. he does not know what kind of fossil it is or how old it is. he wants to know more about the fossil. how can micah best estimate how old the fossil is? a. compare the fossil to organisms alive today and identify differences. b. observe the characteristics of the fossil and other fossils in the same rock layer. c. calculate how long it would take geologic processes to form the rock layer with the fossil. d. compare the position of the fossil with the positions of any surrounding rock layers that have known ages.

Answer

Answer:

D. Compare the position of the fossil with the positions of any surrounding rock layers that have known ages.

Explanation:

Step1: Understand relative - dating concept

Relative - dating is a common method in geology.

Step2: Analyze option D

If surrounding rock layers have known ages, the position of the fossil within the rock - layer sequence can help estimate its age. For example, in undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, lower layers are generally older. This is based on the principle of superposition.

Step3: Analyze option A

Comparing to modern organisms only gives information about evolution, not age.

Step4: Analyze option B

Observing characteristics of fossils in the same layer doesn't directly estimate age.

Step5: Analyze option C

Calculating geologic - process time for rock - layer formation is complex and often inaccurate for direct fossil - age estimation.