Question

What circumstances are best for fossils to form?

Answer 1

Fossilization is the process of a once-living organism becoming a fossil. Fossilization is a relatively unusual occurrence: just a small percentage of all species that have ever existed on Earth become fossils. Consider the death of an antelope on an African plain. The majority of its body is immediately consumed by scavengers, and the remaining meat is quickly consumed by insects and germs, leaving just scattered bones behind.

Complete answer:
When living organisms die and are buried by sediments, most fossils form. The sediments gradually harden into rock, preserving the organisms' forms.

The fossils of dead species are preserved by the rapid burial process as soon as they are buried after death. If they are not buried quickly, perturbations in the terrestrial ecology, such as those caused by decomposers, scavengers, the sun, and wind, affect their uniformity. Also, if these fossils are not disturbed after burial, they remain intact, hence "undisturbed by geological processes" is a supporting factor in the fossilisation process.

Heat and pressure disrupt the fossilisation process, hence no fossils are discovered in metamorphic rocks. Because fossilisation takes place deep beneath the earth's surface, the lack of oxygen acts as a catalyst for the process.
Because most remains are consumed or destroyed soon after death, fossils are rare. Even if bones are buried, they must remain buried and minerals must be replaced. If an animal is frozen, like the infant mammoth was, it must be left undisturbed for many years before being discovered.

Note:-
People have been discovering fossils and wondering about long-extinct species throughout human history. Fossils sparked legends of monsters and other weird creatures in ancient times. Chang Qu, a Chinese writer, recounts the discovery of "dragon bones" in China 2,000 years ago, which are most likely dinosaur fossils. The gryphon, a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, was based on Protoceratops skeletons unearthed by nomads in Central Asia.