Which dating method provides a precise age based on an organic specimen's decay?

Carbon dating is a dating method that measures the age of an organic specimen based on the decay of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon. This method is particularly useful for dating materials that are up to about 50,000 years old, such as bones, wood, and other organic matter. The principle behind carbon dating is that living organisms continually take in carbon from their environment, maintaining a constant level of carbon-14 while they are alive. Once they die, the intake of carbon ceases, and the carbon-14 begins to decay at a known rate (its half-life is approximately 5,730 years). By measuring the remaining amount of carbon-14 in a sample and comparing it to the original levels found in the atmosphere, scientists can calculate the time elapsed since the organism's death, thus providing a precise age.

Relative dating methods, in contrast, do not provide an exact age but rather determine the sequence of events or the relative ages of materials based on their position within geological strata or archaeological contexts. Seriation is a form of relative dating that organizes artifacts based on changes in styles or frequencies over time but lacks the ability to assign specific chronological dates. Epigraphy refers to the study of inscriptions or written records, which can provide historical