Why are fossils considered important in the study of evolution? Explain two ways by which age of fossils can be estimated.

Fossil fuels are considered important in the study of evolution in many ways:
i-) Fossils provide us to know any link between different species of organisms.
ii) Fossils help in establishing evolutionary traits among organisms and their ancestors.
iii) Fossils help in establishing the time period in which organisms lived.

Fossils provide evidence in favour of evolution or establish evolutionary relationships by providing missing links. So, it is considered important in the study of evolution.

The age of the fossils can be determined by the following way:

1) Radiometric dating

In this method, the age of the fossil can be determined by tracing the radioactive elements present in the rocks and examining it chemically.

2) Relative dating

The fossils are found in the sedimentary rocks in the form of layers accumulated over the large span of time. So, using this fact, the geologist find the age of fossils in the way that the fossil found at the bottom of those layers are found to be older than that found above those.

Fossils provide evidence in favour of evolution or establish evolutionary relationships by providing missing links.
Two ways to determine the age of fossils
1. Relative method – Fossils found closer to the surface are more recent than those in the deeper layer.
2. By detecting the ratios of different isotopes of the same element in the fossils material.

Scientists combine several well-tested techniques to find out the ages of fossils. The most important are Relative Dating, in which fossils and layers of rock are placed in order from older to younger, and Radiometric Dating, which allows the actual ages of certain types of rock to be calculated.

The age of the fossils can be determined by the following way:

1) Radiometric dating

2) Relative dating

Scientists combine several well-tested techniques to find out the ages of fossils. The most important are Relative Dating, in which fossils and layers of rock are placed in order from older to younger, and Radiometric Dating, which allows the actual ages of certain types of rock to be calculated.