Most scientists agree that all of today's continents were part of a single continent known as Pangaea around 250 million years ago. The map below shows the theorized positions of some of these continents at that time.

Question

Which of the following would best provide evidence to support the theory that Pangaea existed in Earth's past?
A.
A scientist finds a large number of Mesosaurus fossils spread across South America.
B.
A scientist finds Lystrosaurus fossils in India, Africa, and Antarctica.
C.
A scientist finds a Cynognathus fossil close to a Mesosaurus fossil in Africa.
D.
A scientist finds a Glossopteris fossil in the ocean off the coast of India.

Answer 1

The best option to provide evidence supporting the theory that Pangaea existed is:

B. A scientist finds Lystrosaurus fossils in India, Africa, and Antarctica.

This choice is significant because Lystrosaurus is a species that could not have crossed large ocean gaps, suggesting that these continents were once connected. The presence of the same fossils on multiple, now distant continents is strong evidence for the existence of Pangaea in the past.