Why would marine animals be more likely to form fossils than land animals?

Question

Why would marine animals be more likely to form fossils than land animals?

Answer 1

What Anndiie♥ said.

Answer 2

Generally, animals that live underwater have a lot of sediment around them. So when they die, they obviously sink down to the bottom of the ocean. All of the sediment (i.e. bones, scales) packs down on the body from the massive pressure deep in the ocean. The bones are usually very well preserved in the sediment, and they make great fossils. Animals on land do not have much sediment, though there is some. You sometimes only see fossils from animals that lived long ago (dinosaurs) and those are usually not preserved very well.

Answer 3

Just wanted to add to the above responses: The reason the sediment and clay is important is because it prevents the body of an animal from being eaten by other animals, bacteria, etc., and from weather.

Mineralization (the process of replacing bone with minerals) requires minerals in the surrounding sediment, so bones just sitting out in the open air would be much more susceptible to oxidization, deterioration from sun bleaching and weathering away.

So a fast burial of the animal is important in fossilization.

Answer 4

Because underwater there is more clay, and with clay it is easier to leave imprints and also because animals will sink to the bottom and be covered with clay and/or sediment.

Answer 5

because fossils are formed from sediment, and most sedimentary rock exists under water?!

Answer 6

Sediment runoff accumulates in lakes, oceans, etc... Once aquatic animals die, they sink to the bottom and slowly become covered with sediment. On land, erosion by wind and rain makes it harder for fossils to form.

Answer 7

Because they live in sediment and due to wave action and other contributing factors they are more easily buried.