You just discovered Amebelodon, a shovel-toothed elephant, and you are trying to figure out how old it is. As you examine the sediment you discover a couple species of dinoflagellates that were previously studied and dated. Nelsoniella aceras lived between 80-85 million years ago and Odontochitina lived between 68-82 million years ago. Based on fossil correlation how old is Amebelodon?

A) 68-85 million years old

B) 80-82 million years old

C) 81 million years old

D) 79 million years old

E) D = D0 + N (t) (eÎ"t âˆ' 1) ... so I have no idea!

Option (A)

Explanation:

Amebelodon refers to the ancestor of elephants which were extinct a long time back and they belonged to the Amebelodontidae group of proboscideans. They are closely related to the modern day elephants and the early mammoths. They were comprised of shovel-teeth.

In the given condition, a shovel-tooth of an Amebelodon elephant is found in the sediments, which was associated with two other couple species of dinoflagellates, whose age is previously noted. The two species are Nelsoniella aceras and Odontochitina, which were about 80-85 million years ago and 68-82 million years ago respectively.

Since the Amebelodon tooth and the other two dinoflagellate fossil species are found in the same sediments, one can apply the principle of biostratigraphy, and determine the relative age of the rocks. Biostratigraphy refers to the correlation of rocks based on the presence of fossils.

Thus, the age of the Amebelodon will be somewhere between the range of 68-85 million years old.

Hence, the most appropriate answer is option (A).

A is the correct answer. Choose the largest variation of years