If the process of fossilisation does not occur, gaps may be evident in the fossil record, hence, if fossils are not initially formed the archaeologists would not have anything to analyse; creating a major issue. The process of fossilisation requires a specific series of strange events, including a rapid burial, no oxygen or bacteria present, as well as the preservation of remains (BioNinja, 2010). The sudden burial enforces a large degree of pressure over the remains being preserved, while the absence of oxygen and bacteria prevent the remains from being decomposed over time. It is vital for the object to be preserved as this ensures it is kept in optimum condition and (preferably) in one piece, therefore, it is required to be untouched by scavengers (such as not being consumed or moved). Gaps in the fossil record are evident, as these required conditions for fossilisation are not a common occurrence, hence, archaeologists may be unable to date fossils 70,000 years old if the fossil record is incomplete.
Only segments of fossilised remains are unearthed, while preservation only occurs to the hard parts of an organism (BioNinja, 2010). For an archaeologist (an individual who analyses physical remains, in order to study human history and prehistory), problems may arise if they can only discover fragments of fossils that are too small. The remains may not have been preserved properly, such as having scavenger interference that may have distributed the remains or consumed them; hence, the fossils uncovered by archaeologists may only be present in scraps of tampered pieces. If the fossil is too small or broken to a large degree, archaeologists may be unable to make a comparative analysis against known fossils, which may prevent any conclusion from being drawn.
Given the age of any minute fossil from 70,000 years ago, there is an increased risk that over time it may have been disintegrated or decomposed. This may arise due to movement in the earth or interference with the fossilisation process, (such as the presence of scavengers or bacteria). An issue arises if the fossils are disintegrated over time, as it limits the fossil evidence that archaeologists are able to discover.