GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -A plant or animal that is buried in mud, silt or other protective substances very shortly after death is much more likely to be preserved as a fossil.

Detailed explanation-2: -When an organism is buried quickly, there is less decay and the better the chance for it to be preserved. The hard parts of organisms, such as bones, shells, and teeth have a better chance of becoming fossils than do softer parts. One reason for this is that scavengers generally do not eat these parts.

Detailed explanation-3: -The rapid burial of remains beneath a blanket of sediment is critical to the process of fossilization because burial separates the remains from the biological and physical processes that would otherwise destroy them.

Detailed explanation-4: -Why are organisms that are buried rapidly more likely to fossilize than those that are buried slowly or not at all? Rapid burial protects an organism from biotic factors such as scavengers and decomposers, and from abiotic factors such as sun and wind, allowing the fossilization process to begin.

Detailed explanation-5: -Fossils are preserved by three main methods: unaltered soft or hard parts, altered hard parts, and trace fossils.