The correct statement about fossils, their location, and age is:
**Fossils in lower rocks are older than fossils in upper layers.**
This principle is based on the law of superposition in geology, which states that in undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top. The other statements you provided are incorrect. Here's a brief clarification:
- **Fossils found in among numerous fossils are most recent in age**: This is not necessarily true, as the presence of numerous fossils does not directly indicate their age relative to others.
- **Fossils found in rock layers closest to Earth's surface are the oldest**: This is incorrect; the layers closest to the surface are typically the youngest.
- **Fossils found in rock layers that have been disturbed are the oldest**: Disturbed layers may not retain their chronological order, making it impossible to assert that they contain the oldest fossils.
Thus, the principle of stratigraphy supports that lower layers contain older fossils compared to those in upper layers.