Alfred Wegener's Theory of Continental Drift was supported by various fossil species whose remains were found on continents that are now widely separated by oceans. Here are three notable examples:
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Glossopteris:
- Description: Glossopteris is an extinct genus of seed fern that existed during the late Paleozoic era. Its leaves were thick and fern-like, suggesting it thrived in a warm, moist environment.
- Locations: Fossils of Glossopteris have been found in South America, Africa, Antarctica, India, and Australia. The widespread distribution of this plant fossil across these continents supports the idea that they were once connected in a supercontinent (Gondwana).
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Mesosaurus:
- Description: Mesosaurus was a freshwater reptile that lived during the early Permian period. It is characterized by its long, slender body and flat head, adapted for swimming in rivers.
- Locations: Fossils of Mesosaurus have been discovered in both South America (specifically Brazil) and Africa (notably in South Africa). The presence of this freshwater species on two separate continents suggests that these land masses were once joined, as Mesosaurus would not have been able to swim across the vast Atlantic Ocean.
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Lystrosaurus:
- Description: Lystrosaurus was a therapsid (mammal-like reptile) that lived during the late Permian to early Triassic periods. It had distinct tusks and was herbivorous.
- Locations: Fossils of Lystrosaurus have been found in Africa, Antarctica, and India. The discovery of this land-dwelling species on continents that are now separated by significant ocean distances adds more weight to the theory of continental drift, as it indicates these regions were once linked and allowed for the movement of species.
These fossil finds provided critical evidence for Wegener's hypothesis by showing that certain species could not have independently evolved in geographic isolation, thus suggesting a past connection between the continents.