___found evidence that the continents were joined together at one time.

3 answers

Geologists have found evidence that the continents were joined together at one time in the form of continental drift theory, which was first proposed by Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century. This theory is supported by various types of evidence:

  1. Fossil Evidence: Similar fossils of plants and animals have been found on continents that are now widely separated, such as the Mesosaurus in both South America and Africa.

  2. Geological Evidence: Similar rock formations and mountain ranges are found on different continents, indicating they were once part of the same landmass. For example, the Appalachian Mountains in North America are geologically linked to the Caledonian Mountains in Scotland.

  3. Glacial Evidence: Glacial deposits and striations (scratch marks left by glaciers) found in currently warm regions suggest those continents were once connected in a much colder climate.

  4. Fit of the Continents: The shapes of the continents, particularly the coastlines of South America and Africa, appear to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, suggesting they were once joined.

These observations collectively provide strong evidence that the continents were once part of a supercontinent, known as Pangaea, which began to break apart approximately 200 million years ago.

what person found evidence

The concept that the continents were once joined together is most famously associated with the German meteorologist and geophysicist Alfred Wegener. He proposed the theory of continental drift in the early 20th century, around 1912. Wegener gathered various types of evidence to support his hypothesis, including:

  • Fossil similarities across different continents.
  • Geological formations that matched across continents.
  • Climatic evidence, such as glacial deposits found in now-tropical areas, suggesting those areas were once closer to the poles.

Wegener's ideas were initially met with skepticism, but subsequent research provided more substantial support for the concept of plate tectonics, which further explains how continents drift apart over geological time.