Question: Why is fossil evidence so rare? Need Assignment Help? (multiple answers possible) Group of answer choices Fossils are likely to be missed by paleontologists because they are too deep underground or too small to be identified, even when they are exposed. Fossils are extremely fragile and deteriorate within just a few decades, even after being encased in sediment, making them exceedingly rare to find. Even after becoming fossilized, bones can be fragile and prone to further degradation, making fossilization a rare and incomplete process. Fossilization is highly unlikely due to the scarcity of organisms that die in environments conducive to preservation, such as mudflats or lagoons. The process of fossilization is often disrupted by scavengers, decomposition, and environmental conditions, which can prevent bones or remains from being preserved at all. Fossilization occurs most often when the remains of organisms are rapidly covered by layers of fine sediment, protecting them from scavengers and the elements. Fossil evidence is rare because the conditions required for fossilization are highly variable and specific, and such conditions exist in only a small fraction of the Earth's surface at any given time.