| Zircon | Apatite |
|---|---|
| More resistant. | More sensitive to heat. |
| Records high temperatures. | Records low temperatures. |
| Widely used in U–Pb dating. | Widely used in thermochronology. |
| Can preserve very old ages. | Records more recent processes. |
| Excellent for magmatic crystallization. | Excellent for exhumation and erosion. |