GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Answer: Hard parts like bones are the most likely to be preserved. It is much harder to preserve soft parts or the organism. The presence of Calcium carbonate which can come from broken and dissolved sea shells acts as a preservative.

Detailed explanation-2: -The animal is likely to be fossilized only if it is buried soon after it dies (or when it is buried alive!). Even then, it is likely to decompose, because water that seeps through the sediment around it usually is rich in oxygen. Sometimes, however, the body is buried rapidly by fine mud.

Detailed explanation-3: -Fossils are formed in many different ways, but most are formed when a living organism (such as a plant or animal) dies and is quickly buried by sediment (such as mud, sand or volcanic ash).

Detailed explanation-4: -In order for fossilisation to occur, the following conditions are required: Hard body parts (bones, teeth, shells) – soft body parts will not fossilise, but may leave behind trace evidence (e.g. imprints) Preservation of remains (protection against scavenging, erosion and environmental damage)

Detailed explanation-5: -The first step in becoming a fossil is death. Natural causes, such as predation or disasters could have killed creatures that lived long ago (just as happens today). The second step involves the animal being buried in sediment, preventing it from being eaten by scavengers or decomposed by bacteria.