Place the following steps of fossil formation in chronologic

Place the following steps of fossil formation in chronological order:

The hard parts of the organism mineralize.

The organism is buried in sediment.

The organism dies.

The surrounding sediment hardens to form rock.

Solution

1. The organism dies: For the fossil to form an animal must either die in the water or die out of the water.

2. The organism is buried in sediment.

3. The surrounding sediment hardens to form rock: Dirt, mud or dust must settle over these remains. The more rapidly this sedimentation occurs, the more likely it is that remains will successfully form a fossil.

4. The hard parts of the organism mineralize: As more matter settles, the pressure converts the loose matter to hard packed rock and preserves the images created by animal\'s remains.