Some fossils are more useful than others in establishing the age of rocks. These are called index fossils. It is possible that humans also will be good index fossils at some time in the distant future. Humans have distinct hard parts, and we often bury our dead.

Which would be most useful as an index fossil?

Pigs would be more useful as an index fossil. The well-documented changes that the occurred in the fossil record would help geologists determine the ages of rocks much more than the unchanging horseshoe crabs.

What makes an index fossil bad?

Birds, for example, would make bad index fossils, because although there are many species which have wide (indeed intercontinental) ranges, they fossilize very poorly: their skeletons come apart easily, and then their delicate honeycombed bones are highly susceptible to decay.

What is the oldest index fossil?

List of index fossilsScientific NameGeological time intervalMillion Years AgoMucrospirifer mucronatusDevonian416 to 359 million years agoPalmatolepis unicornisDevonianTetragraptus fructicosusOrdovicianParadoxidesCambrian509 to 500 million years ago19 more rows

Do scallops make for good index fossils?

These are the fossils that we want to use for relative dating. Some of the scientists favorite index fossils are trilobites, ammonites and scallop shells.

What makes a good fossil index?

A useful index fossil must be distinctive or easily recognizable, abundant, and have a wide geographic distribution and a short range through time. Index fossils are the basis for defining boundaries in the geologic time scale and for the correlation of strata.

Do scallops make good index fossils?

Some of the scientists favorite index fossils are trilobites, ammonites and scallop shells.

What are 2 characteristics that make a fossil a good index fossil?

A useful index fossil must be distinctive or easily recognizable, abundant, and have a wide geographic distribution and a short range through time. Index fossils are the basis for defining boundaries in the geologic time scale and for the correlation of strata.

Is Pecten a good index fossil?

Early Pleistocene 0.5 million Viviparus glacialis Quaternary Period 1.8 million Pecten gibbus Fossils are important evidence for evolution because they show that life on earth was once different from life on earth found today. Because of its narrow time range, Tropites is a good index fossil (useful for Thanks!