A scientist has a fossil that was found in a layer of rock close to Earth’s surface. He believes that the fossil is around 12,000 years old.Which method would best allow the scientist to confirm the actual age of the fossil?

Carbon dating is suitable for determining the age of relatively recent fossils, such as one believed to be about 12,000 years old. It measures the remaining radioactive carbon in once-living material and can provide an absolute age. Potassium-argon dating is generally used for much older rocks and fossils, so it is not the best method here.

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