Dating of the fossils contributes to a clearer timeline of evolutionary history. Older methods of dating were more subjective, often an educated hypothesis based on the evidence available.

What is the importance of dating in science?

Dating, in geology, determining a chronology or calendar of events in the history of Earth, using to a large degree the evidence of organic evolution in the sedimentary rocks accumulated through geologic time in marine and continental environments.

How can we determine the age of the Earth?

The best estimate for Earths age is based on radiometric dating of fragments from the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite. From the fragments, scientists calculated the relative abundances of elements that formed as radioactive uranium decayed over billions of years.

What is the age of moon?

4.53 billion years Moon/Age Scientists looked to the moons mineral composition to estimate that the moon is around 4.425 billion years old, or 85 million years younger than what previous studies had proven.