Other fossil evidence also supports the theory of continental drift. The earliest marine fossils found along the eastern coast of South America and the western coast of Africa date from about 150 to 200 million years ago, suggesting that the Atlantic Ocean did not exist prior to that time.
What evidence supported the hypothesis of continental drift?
The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones.
What type of geological evidence supports the existence of Pangea?
The rock formations of eastern North America, Western Europe, and northwestern Africa were later found to have a common origin, and they overlapped in time with the presence of Gondwanaland. Together, these discoveries supported the existence of Pangea.
How was fossil evidence used to reconstruct Pangea?
Evidence from fossilized organisms and mountain chains can be used to reconstruct the positions of today’s continents and landmasses to form the supercontinent Pangea. Glossopteris ferns had very heavy seeds that could not move by wind or drift on ocean currents.
Which two continents can fit like a puzzle?
The east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa seem to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and Wegener discovered their rock layers “fit” just as clearly.
How are the continents divided?
Today we divide the world into seven continents: North America and South America are two separate continents linked by an isthmus; across the Atlantic Ocean sits Africa, a large continent straddling the Equator; separated from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea, Europe is, in fact, a peninsula, extending westward from the …
What kind of geologic evidence support the Gondwana theory?
As he stated that the continent of South America and Africa were once part of the same Gondwana landmass, Similarly the North America eastern side and Western side of Europe were the same as the ones that were part of the Lurata i.e Northern super landmass. This can be found in the evidence given in the paleomagnetism theory.
What was evidence for continental drift in the early 20th century?
The evidence for continental drift in the early 20th century included the matching of continental shapes on either side of the Atlantic and the geological and fossil matchups between continents that are now thousands of kilometres apart.
What kind of geologic evidence support the existence of Pangaea?
Add your answer and earn points. Evidence given in support of the existence of Pangaea was given in Plate tectonic theory by Alfred Wegener. 1. The Jigsaw fit puzzle
What are the two theories of global geology?
The established theories of global geology were permanentism and contractionism, but neither of these theories was able to explain some of the evidence that supported the idea of continental drift.