ES Topic 4 Lesson 1 Test

What observation led scientists to consider the idea of continental drift?

• Continents appeared to have the same climate

• Continents seemed to fit together like pieces of a puzzle

• Continents were all located near the equator

• Continents were moving at a constant speed

Who proposed the theory of continental drift in 1912?

• Charles Darwin

• Alfred Wegener

• Isaac Newton

• James Hutton

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

In what year did Alfred Wegener publish his book The Origin of Continents and Oceans?

• 1905

• 1912

• 1915

• 1920

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which of the following pieces of evidence did Wegener use to support the theory of continental drift?

• Evidence from modern-day earthquakes, land bridges and shape of ocean currents

• Similar land features, fossils, and climate across continents

• The shape of ocean currents

• Magnetic field anomalies

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

What type of evidence supported the idea that continents were once connected, as observed in mountain ranges?

• Mountain ranges lined up across different continents

• Volcanic activity was the same across continents

• Ocean currents were identical on both sides of the Atlantic

• Rock formations were identical only on one continent

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

What was significant about the discovery of Glossopteris fossils in five different continents?

• It showed that the continents were once covered in glaciers

• It indicated that the continents were once connected

• It proved that plant life was once identical on all continents

• It showed that the continents had similar climates

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

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What does the discovery of Mesosaurus fossils in both South America and Africa suggest?

• The continents were once separated by deep oceans

• Mesosaurus could fly between the continents

• South America and Africa were once connected

• Mesosaurus could adapt to saltwater environments

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Why was the discovery of coal deposits in areas that no longer supported the same plant life important?

• It showed that coal could form in any environment

• It suggested that the continents were once shaped differently and had very different vegetation

• It provided evidence that continents had once supported similar vegetation

• It proved the theory of continental drift was wrong

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Why was the theory of continental drift initially rejected by scientists?

• It lacked a clear mechanism explaining how continents moved

• It was not supported by fossil evidence

• It conflicted with the idea of plate tectonics

• It suggested that continents were fixed in place

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NGSS.HS-ESS1-5

What did the mapping of the ocean floor in the mid-20th century reveal that sparked renewed interest in the theory of continental drift?

• Large, unexplained oceanic trenches

• Undersea mountain chains known as mid-ocean ridges

• Evidence of ancient volcanic islands and special land features

• A massive ocean current flowing in one direction

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

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