see link
http://www.gpc.edu/~pgore/geology/geo102/radio.htm subsection of minerals you can date.
just as a side issue, sedimentary rocks are dated by the fossils held within them... so if a biologist/evolutionist says they are 65,000,000 years old, they attribute this age to the rock and then use a circular system of logic to determine the rocks age... i.e. if the fossil is 65,000,000 years old then the rock must be that age also (stupid argument).
Interestingly the article you've linked makes it quite clear that scientists
do not do what you are accusing them of! Also, I think you are confusing
relative and
absolute dating of fossils. (More on that later.)
First, let me quote from your linked article:
Radioactive isotopes don't tell much about the age of sedimentary rocks (or fossils). The radioactive minerals in sedimentary rocks are derived from the weathering of igneous rocks. If the sedimentary rock were dated, the age date would be the time of cooling of the magma that formed the igneous rock. The date would not tell anything about when the sedimentary rock formed.
To date a sedimentary rock, it is necessary to isolate a few unusual minerals (if present) which formed on the seafloor as the rock was cemented. Glauconite is a good example. Glauconite contains potassium, so it can be dated using the potassium-argon technique.
(If you are going to create a
straw man to argue against, it's probably not a good idea to link to an article demonstrating the actual position you
should be addressing.
)
Also, just to clarify, carbon-14 dating, which was mentioned in reference to the possibility of it being performed on the wheels in question, can be used to date organic material up to about 50,000 years old. It would not play a role in your scenario involving 65,000,0000 year old sedimentary rocks. Hopefully, you were not implying that.
Now, as for the
relative and
absolute age of fossils:
A fossil's position in geological strata provides information regarding its age
relative to fossils found in other strata. In other words, it is used to determine a history or sequence of events. It does not tell a fossil's
absolute age. Radiometric dating, on the other hand, has the advantage of establishing the
absolute age of geologic materials. In other words, it points to a date on the calendar. Neither piece of information is arbitrary or in the control of the geologist. To put it in simple terms, it is the difference between knowing that Bobby is the eldest of his siblings vs. determining that he is twelve years old, whereas his brothers are aged six and eight. Citing evidence for the two types of information does not represent circular reasoning, but rather a system of checks. They
reinforce one another.
Here's a nice little webpage on the subject:
Geologic Time
We don't have strata to look at in regard to the wheels. What we really need to know is their age and origin. How do you suppose we would we go about determining these two important pieces of information?
