1) The Theory of Continental Drift, proposed by Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century, suggests that the continents on Earth were once joined together in a single supercontinent called Pangaea. According to this theory, Pangaea slowly broke apart over millions of years, with the pieces moving away from each other to form the continents we see today. This movement is referred to as continental drift and is attributed to the processes of plate tectonics.
2) From the image below, the fossil that supports the Theory of Continental Drift is Glossopteris.
3) Glossopteris is a plant fossil that was discovered in multiple locations, including South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica. This distribution is significant because Glossopteris was a land plant that required a specific climate to thrive. The fact that identical fossils of Glossopteris have been found in these distant and currently separated continents suggests that these areas were once connected and shared the same environmental conditions.
Based on this fossil evidence, the Theory of Continental Drift proposes that these continents were once part of a single landmass, Pangaea, and have since drifted apart. Glossopteris supports this theory by demonstrating that the continents were once connected, as this plant could not have easily crossed vast ocean barriers to reach such remote locations. Instead, its widespread distribution suggests that the continents on which it was found were once connected, but have since moved apart due to continental drift.
Choose one of the four fossils (Cynognathus, Mesosaurus, Lystrosaurus, or Glossopteris) from the image below and explain how that fossil supports the Theory of Continental Drift.
In Your Response Include:
1) Explain the Theory of Continental Drift (1 point)
2) Identify one fossil (from the picture below) that supports the Theory of Continental Drift (1 point)
3) Explain how/why that fossil supports the Theory of Continental Drift (1 point)
1 answer
1 answer