Answer :
The fern is a vascular plant that reproduces by producing spores. This plant produces no fruits or seeds. The ferns have complex leaves, and have true stems and roots. The presence of a fern fossil in a sedimentary rock indicates that the rock present on the land. The fern plants are found above the land, and this rock must have been present there for it to contain the fern fossil.
Hence, The correct answer is 'Option C - the area was on land'.