Specimens are usually considered to be fossils if they are over 10,000 years old. The oldest fossils are around 3.48 billion years old to 4.1 billion years old.

Are fossils older than rocks?

Relative age dating tells us which fossils are older and which fossils are younger. The fossil species below the ash must be slightly older than 507 million years, and the species above the ash must be slightly younger. If rocks in different places contain the same fossil species, they must be similar in age.

What is the age of most fossils?

How old are fossils? How old are fossils? The oldest known fossils are the remains of unicellular organisms dating back, about 3.4 billion years. Although most fossils are a lot younger, when talking about the age of fossils, we often tend to speak about millions, tens of millions or even hundreds of million years ago.

How do you tell if a rock contains a fossil?

It is also a good idea to look for signs that the rock contains a fossil before trying to break it, part of a fossil may be visible on the surface of the rock. You can identify the limestone by its lighter grey colour and hardness, it should be quite hard to break without a hammer.