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Correct!

If an organism or its trace gets buried quickly, it is less likely to be destroyed.

Brittle stars feeding on dead fish

Brittle stars are very good scavengers.


When an organism dies it is exposed to many different types of biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors include scavengers, predators, and decomposers, that can break down and destroy the organism.

Exposure to heat, cold, moisture, water, and wind are abiotic factors that can also cause a dead organism to decompose and break apart.

The quicker a dead organism gets buried, the more chance there is for the fossilization process to begin.


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Getting into the Fossil Record What is the Fossil Record? Becoming a Fossil Protection from Destruction