BI111 Chapter Notes - Chapter #10: Radioactive Decay, Extinction Event, Canter And Gallop
Document Summary
Molecular fossils are components of some dna and proteins although they usually break down before they can be preserved. The molecular fossil information can be found in bones. Other molecules like lipids and cholesterol are more resistant to decomposition and will not break down as easy. Messel rocks provide a truly outstanding snapshot of lope on land as the age of mammals began. Fossil record preserves some biological history well and others not so well. Geological data indicate the age and environmental setting of fossils: Geological timescales the series of time divisions that mark earth"s long history. By measuring the amount of unstable isotope and table daughter inside a mineral they can determine when the mineral formed. Radiometric dating is when archaeologists use the radioactive decay of the isotope. Older geological materials are commonly dated using the radioactive decay of uranium or lead.
