GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Fossils are the preserved remains of plants and animals whose bodies were buried in sediments, such as sand and mud, under ancient seas, lakes and rivers. Fossils also include any preserved trace of life that is typically more than 10 000 years old.

Detailed explanation-2: -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-3: -Most fossils “hide out” in sedimentary rock . When tiny bits of rocks and minerals (called sediment) join together over millions of years, they become sedimentary rock. Plants and animals that become sandwiched in this sediment eventually turn into fossils.

Detailed explanation-4: -Most fossils form when a dead organism is buried by sediments. Layers of sediment slowly build up. Through time, the pressure of additional sediment layers turns the lower layers into sedimentary rock. The remains inside the rock layers also turn to rock.

Detailed explanation-5: -Reason for sedimentary rocks to be the only rock type to contain fossils: The dead plants and animals, where they are buried by more sediment results in the accumulation of minerals from water in bones which leads to formation of fossils. This makes sedimentary rocks the only rock type to contain fossils.