Simple answer: it cannot. It cannot even be used on living material without bringing up a bunch of compeltely random results. Living snails and mollusks were dated to be several thpusand years old. Volcanic rock millions, though that rock had erupted two years before. Three of many examples. The C14 method is based on a constant flow of cosmic radiation, that through the atmosphere becomes one isotope of an elemt to another, eventually C14 in plant, and eaten by animals. First argument: young plants, old plants, they contain different doses of C14, wouldn't they? Second argument: In a more dense atmosphere (which was neccessary for several pterosaurs to be able to fly), less C14 would have been generated, thus the results would appear older. But as stated before, the C14 method is interpreting something irrelevant to the object's age. Concerning C14 in dead matter, I don't know. I suppose they date spores, or other stuff that got on the objects. But it seems rather unscientific to me.

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