Secular scientists generally contend that applying radiocarbon dating to fossils found in rock layers purported to be millions of years old, including dinosaur fossils, is ineffective. However, it remains a valuable area for investigation. The rationale for this is as follows.
Radiocarbon dating relies on measuring the ratio between the unstable carbon isotope 14C and the stable isotopes 12C and 13C. In the upper layers of the atmosphere, nitrogen 14N is constantly being converted to carbon 14C due to bombardment by neutrons, which remove a proton from nitrogen, creating a hydrogen atom and leaving a radioactive carbon isotope. This carbon dioxide 14C then enters the natural carbon cycle via photosynthesis, where it is absorbed by plants and subsequently consumed by animals and humans.
The ratio of radioactive to stable carbon is the same in the atmosphere and in living organisms. However, when an organism dies, it stops absorbing 14C, which slowly decays back to 14N. The half-life of 14C is relatively short on a geological time scale, approximately 5730-5740 years. Consequently, 50,000 years after an organism’s death, it would retain only 0.24% of its original carbon-14 content.
For this reason, secular scientists rarely apply radiocarbon dating to remains found in Paleozoic and Mesozoic layers, as these are believed to have been deposited over 65 million years ago. However, what happens if researchers choose to test these fossils using 14C? This task has been taken on by several research teams.
Research by the RATE Team
Scientists from the RATE (Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth) research team, established in 1997, conducted a review of studies on the levels of 14C in samples from rock layers spanning various periods of the Phanerozoic,1 as well as the Precambrian. The samples examined included pieces of wood, shells, whale bones, and numerous samples of graphite, anthracite, and calcite. These were analyzed at several research institutions using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), a highly sensitive technique. The team also took measures to minimize the potential for sample contamination.
It was found that all of these samples contain measurable amounts of 14C. Biological samples, in particular, exhibit higher levels of 14C compared to other samples, especially those from Precambrian layers. Furthermore, biological samples from Phanerozoic layers show varying amounts of carbon-14, regardless of the rock layer in which they were discovered. If we were to date fossilized wood samples based solely on 14C, their age would range from approximately 40,000 to 62,000 years, rather than millions of years as suggested by traditional rock dating methods.2
Between 1997 and 2000, Andrew A. Snelling, a member of the RATE team, conducted an analysis of fossilized wood samples extracted from Tertiary, Mesozoic, and Upper Paleozoic strata, which are conventionally assigned ages ranging from 40 to 250 million years. The results from accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) revealed substantial variation in 14C content across the samples. One sample from the Middle Tertiary contained 0.38% of its original 14C, corresponding to an estimated age of approximately 45,000 years. In contrast, a sample from the Lower Jurassic contained 7.58% of its original 14C, which would suggest an age of between 20,000 and 21,000 years.3
The RATE team also examined ten coal samples from various rock layers, representing different geological eras: Eocene (Cenozoic), Cretaceous (Mesozoic), and Carboniferous4 (Paleozoic). These samples were obtained from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Coal Sample Bank. Notably, all of the samples contained measurable amounts of 14C, translating to an average age of approximately 50,000 years5.
Research by the Paleochronology Group
The RATE team was not the only group to examine geological samples for 14C content. In 2003, Hugh Miller founded the Paleochronology Group, a team of consultants with expertise in various scientific fields. While the RATE team was composed of creationist scientists, the Paleochronology Group primarily consisted of scientists who did not adhere to creationist views.6
In contrast to the RATE team, the Paleochronology Group focused on a more contentious area of study: fossilized dinosaur bones. According to the prevailing scientific chronology, dinosaurs are thought to have become extinct approximately 65 million years ago, at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Consequently, no scientist had previously attempted to date dinosaur fossils using an isotope with such a short half-life as carbon-14.
During its research, the Paleochronology Group conducted analyses on 22 dinosaur samples collected from various U.S. states. These included 10 hadrosaurs, 5 triceratops, 5 acrocanthosaurs, 1 allosaurus, and 1 apatosaurus. Similar to the RATE team, the Paleochronology Group utilized accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) for their tests and took rigorous precautions to minimize any risk of sample contamination.7
The results were as surprising as those from the fossilized wood studies. Almost all the samples contained sufficient 14C to suggest a geological age within the range of 22,000 to 39,000 years. One notable example is a triceratops excavated in Dawson County, Montana, which was dated to approximately 33,800 years. Two samples were dated to around 2,000 years, but these were found to be contaminated.8
Conclusion
Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is sensitive enough to provide reliable results for samples up to 60,000 years old, provided there is no contamination.9 How should we interpret the findings from these studies, which directly challenge the widely accepted notion that dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago?
Unsurprisingly, secular scientists have completely dismissed these results, asserting that they must be erroneous. However, they have yet to present their own data on fossil samples that contain no measurable amounts of 14C. To date, all studies conducted have yielded similar outcomes—fossil samples from Phanerozoic layers contain trace but measurable amounts of carbon-14. This suggests that these fossils cannot be older than tens of thousands of years.
While these findings are deemed unacceptable by secular scientists, they largely align with the biblical worldview. The Bible states that our world is not millions or billions of years old, but merely thousands.10
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- Who Created God?
- What Do Astronauts Have To Say About God?
- Which Came First: The Flood or the Pyramids?
- The Mythology and Origins of Dragons Across Cultures – Part 1
- Legends of Dragons from Around the World and Their Origins – Part 2
Footnotes
- The Phanerozoic includes all the major geological eras, namely the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic.
- Humphreys, R., et al., 2011. Measurable 14C in Fossilized Organic Materials: Confirming the Young Earth Creation-Flood Model. Answers in Genesis, 9 February. Available at: https://answersingenesis.org/geology/carbon-14/measurable-14c-in-fossilized-organic-materials-creation-flood-model/.
- Ibid.
- Pennsylvania, to be precise.
- Humphreys, R., et al., 2011. Op. cit.
- Holloway, A., 2018. Did Humans Walk the Earth with Dinosaurs? Triceratops Horn Dated to 33,500 Years. Ancient Origins, 24 May. Available at: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-evolution-human-origins/humans-walk-earth-dinosaurs-triceratops-horn-dated-33500-020159.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- See https://www.radiocarbon.com/accelerator-mass-spectrometry.htm.
- The results of the above studies clearly differ from the biblical timescale, which suggests an age of approximately 6,000 years. This, however, does not necessarily disprove the Bible; it could indicate that there was relatively less 14C in the atmosphere prior to the Flood.
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