Final answer:
When a record is removed from a file area, a placeholder known as a tombstone is used to indicate its deletion and track its location until permanent removal.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a record is removed from the file area, a placeholder replaces the record to indicate it has been removed and to identify its current location. This placeholder can also be referred to as a tombstone. In the context of data management, a tombstone is a marker in a database or data storage system that indicates a data entry or record has been logically deleted but not physically erased. The presence of this placeholder allows systems to manage deletions efficiently and helps maintain the integrity of the data by keeping a record of deleted items until they are permanently removed during a compaction or garbage collection process.