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Rock layers

The surface of the earth is made up of several layers of rock and soil called Rock Strata.  Each layer is only one of a number of parallel layers that lie on top of one another and are laid down over a long period of time by natural forces.  The rock layers, or strata are typically seen as bands of different colors made up of a variety of different materials.  These individual bands can vary in thickness and represent a specific period in time.  The farther back in time, the older the strata.  Rock strata can be thousands and even billions of years old.  Fossils found in different rock strata are the same age as the rocks and soil around them.  Human and modern animal fossils are found in completely different rock strata than ancient animals like dinosaurs.  Therefore, there could never be a human and a dinosaur fossil found in the same rock layer.  They lived at two different times!

Relative Dating of Rock Layers

The Rock Layers - The Grand Canyon

How Was The Grand Canyon Formed?

Reading Rock Strata - Fossil Forming

Fossil Hunting 101 - Where To Look For Fossils and How To Find Them!

Reading Rock Layers

Reading Rock Strata - Layers

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