Describe how plant fossil found at svalbard in Norway gave evidence of drifting continents.

Question

They were warm climate plants that would not grow in a cold polar area.
They were found only in that one location.
They were plants that became extinct millions of years earlier.
They were found in glacial deposits.

Answer 1

The discovery of plant fossils in Svalbard, Norway, provided significant evidence for the theory of continental drift. These fossils belonged to warm climate plants, which indicated that this region, now characterized by its cold polar environment, once had a much warmer climate. Here’s how each of the points contributes to the evidence for drifting continents:

1. Warm Climate Plants: The presence of warm climate plants suggested that Svalbard had a vastly different climate millions of years ago, inconsistent with its current polar conditions. Since these types of plants cannot survive in cold environments, their existence in Svalbard indicated that the continent was once located closer to the equator, where such a climate would be more prevalent.

2. Location: The fact that these fossilized plants were found only in Svalbard signifies that they were once part of a larger biome that existed under warmer conditions. This reinforces the idea that continents have moved over geological time, separating habitats that were once contiguous.

3. Extinction Timeline: The plant fossils were from species that became extinct millions of years earlier, which points to the geological history of the Earth. The discovery of these fossils in Svalbard allows scientists to infer the continental positions during the earlier periods of the Earth, supporting the notion that continents were once connected in configurations that supported these warm climates.

4. Glacial Deposits: The presence of these fossils in glacial deposits presents a contrast between the past climates and current geological processes. The fact that they were found in such deposits suggests that after these plants thrived in a warm environment, geological forces, including glaciation and continental drift, eventually led to their burial in colder regions where they would not survive.

In summary, through the combination of these findings, the plant fossils in Svalbard serve as compelling evidence for the theory of continental drift, illustrating how continents have shifted over time from warmer, equatorial regions to their current polar locations.