Burial is important for protecting the organism or its trace against destructive forces.

Which organism do you think is most likely to be preserved (CLICK on the best answer):

a) One that gets buried quickly?
b) One that gets buried slowly?

Correct!

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

Ooops!

Slow burial means longer exposure to the elements such as wind and rain. There is also a greater chance that scavengers and decomposers will destroy the organism before it can fossilize. Try again . . .

Fast burial protects the dead organisms or traces from being destroyed by scavengers and decomposers.

Brittle stars are very good scavengers.

It also protects them from physical factors, such as waves, wind, rain, and sun.