Dinosaur eggshells can reveal the age of other fossils

Dinosaur eggshells can be used to accurately date surrounding fossils and rocks, according to a study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment. Researchers led by paleontologist Ryan Tucker have developed a method using uranium-lead radioisotopic dating on eggshells to determine their age. This method can accurately date rocks and fossils that are millions of years old. The study found that eggshells from two different sites in Utah and Mongolia were 95 million and 99 million years old, respectively. This new approach could greatly expand the range of continental sedimentary successions amenable to radioisotopic dating.