Final answer:
East African fossil sites can be accurately dated using absolute dating methods such as carbon-14 dating. Relative dating techniques can also be used, but absolute dating methods provide a more accurate determination of the fossils' age.
Step-by-step explanation:
The East African fossil sites can be accurately dated by using an absolute dating method such as carbon-14 dating. Absolute dating provides an approximate age in years by measuring the amount of carbon-14 or other isotopes present in the fossils. This allows scientists to determine the age of the fossils with a high degree of accuracy.
For example, archaeologists have used radiocarbon dating to estimate the age of cave stones found in southern Africa. By dating the archaeological layer in which the stones were found, they determined that the stones were buried between 25,500 and 25,300 years ago during the Middle Stone Age period.
Relative dating techniques can also be used to determine the geological ages of the fossils. This involves comparing the fossils to other fossils and rock layers to establish a relative chronology. However, absolute dating methods are more accurate for determining the actual age of the fossils.