Final answer:
Rock layers support the existence of dinosaurs primarily through the preservation of fossilized remains, serving as evidence for different geological eras. The ordering of fossils in these layers helps in relative dating and understanding Earth's history, while radiometric dating provides absolute ages for the fossils.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rock layers support the time when dinosaurs existed primarily through Option 2: Through the preservation of fossilized remains. Rock layers, with their ability to preserve fossils, provide crucial evidence about the geological eras during which dinosaurs and other organisms lived. Dinosaurs are indeed evidence of past life forms, allowing us to study their evolution over time. The existence of fossils of ancient sea life on land far from oceans indicates changes in Earth's geography, helping us understand that continents and seas have shifted over millions of years.
Fossils and the order in which they appear in the rock layers make up the fossil record, which documents when organisms lived on Earth and gives insight into species' evolution and extinction. Paleontologists and geologists use fossils for relative dating by examining which rock layer a fossil was found in to ascertain its age. Moreover, radiometric dating techniques allow scientists to determine the absolute age of fossils by measuring the breakdown of radioactive materials in each rock layer.
Furthermore, fossils provide information for biostratigraphic correlation, wherein fossils within different rock types but of the same age help in establishing that the rocks were deposited concurrently. This assists in understanding the sequence and age of rock layers. The fossil record, complemented by stratigraphy and paleoecology studies, can inform researchers about ancient climates, ecosystems, and the history of life on Earth.