Final answer:
Taphonomy is a branch of paleontology that focuses on the preservation conditions of organic remains, with the best preservation occurring in oxygen-poor environments such as bogs or the sea bottom.
Step-by-step explanation:
Taphonomy is the study of the deposition of organic remains and the environmental conditions affecting their preservation. Within both continental and marine environments, certain depositional environments, such as anoxic or oxygen-poor conditions like those found at the bottom of a still, shallow sea or in bogs, are best for preserving fossils. Fossils are preserved by three main methods: unaltered soft or hard parts, altered hard parts, and trace fossils. The preservation of organic material in organic sedimentary rocks can occur when organic matter, like leaves and other plant or animal material, accumulates and undergoes lithification.
The mode of preservation for these fossils can involve fluids, such as mineralized groundwater, which contribute to the fossilization process. The use of analytical chemistry and molecular biology in paleobotany highlights that the preservation of molecular structures, such as DNA and RNA, requires an anaerobic environment to prevent oxidation and degradation. Finally, biostratigraphy uses fossils to determine depositional environments and the ages of sediment, combining with lithostratigraphy.