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Patterns How we know what happened when
The family tree
Life began 3.8 billion years ago, and insects diversified 290 million years ago, but the
Understanding
human and chimpanzee lineages diverged only five million years ago. How have Read more about
phylogenies
scientists figured out the dates of long past evolutionary events? Here are some of the radiometric dating,
Trees, not ladders methods and evidence that scientists use to put dates on events: stratigraphy, and
molecular clocks.
Building the tree

Homologies and 1. Radiometric dating relies on half-life decay of radioactive elements to

analogies allow scientists to date rocks and materials directly.
Using the tree for
classification
Learn more about
Adding time to 2. Stratigraphy provides a sequence of events from which relative dates molecular clocks in
the tree can be extrapolated. context: Evolutionary
evidence takes the
How we know stand, a news brief with
what happened discussion questions.
when 3. Molecular clocks allow scientists to use the amount of genetic
divergence between organisms to extrapolate backwards to estimate
Important events dates.
in the history of
life
Teach your students
Mechanisms
about relative and
Microevolution absolute dating:

Speciation Adding time to the Important events in Who's on first?

Relative dating, a
tree the history of life
Macroevolution classroom activity
for grades 6-8.
The big issues
Determining age of
rocks and fossils, a
classroom activity
for grades 9-12.

Find additional lessons,

activities, videos, and
articles that focus on
relative and absolute
dating.

Teach your students

about molecular clocks:
Solving the mystery of
the Neanderthals, a
web activity for grades
9-12.

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