Continental Drift and Analyzing Evidence

What is the theory of Continental Drift?

• The continents were never once together.

• The continents are 1 supercontinent and never break apart.

• New continents are created every year because of the plate moving.

• The continents move and drift away and towards each other over time.

Fossils of the Glossopteris plant are found in southern Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, and India.

• Yes, this is evidence and supports the Continental Drift theory..

• No, this is not evidence.

Which 2 continents have the most obvious fit of the coastlines?

• South America and Europe

• Africa and South America

• Africa and North America

• Australia and Antarctica

Wegener examines the location of tiny rocks and the direction of grooves formed by large glaciers scraping across southern areas of Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, and India. He concludes that if all these places were fitted together, they would form a continuous ice sheet expanding outward in all directions.

• No, this is not evidence.

• Yes, this is evidence & supports continental drift.

German scientist Alfred Wegener will speak at the Geological Association meeting.

• Yes, this is evidence and supports the theory.

• No, this is not evidence, just a statement.

“Continents are so large they must always have been where they are.”

• Yes, this is evidence and supports continental drift.

• No, this is not evidence and just a statement.

How were the fossil symbols and mountain belts helpful in deciding where to move the continents?

• Fossil symbols and mountain belts indicated past connections and geological similarities, guiding the movement of continents.
• Fossil symbols were only found in one continent.
• Mountain belts are unrelated to continental movement.
• Fossil symbols only indicate the age of rocks.

Wegener observes that a South American mountain range lines upwith an ancient African mountain range in South Africa when the 2 continents are placed together. He writes: “It is just as if we were to refit the torn pieces of a newspaper by matching their edges and

then check whether the lines of print ran smoothly across. If they do,
there is no thing left but to conclude that the pieces were in fact joined in this way.”

• Yes, this is evidence & supports the theory.

• No, this is not evidence, just a statement.

Rock layers on the western coast of Africa in the following sequence: basalt rock, shale containing fossil reptiles, coal layers containing Glossopteris fossils, rocks containing Mesosaurus fossils, and shale. An almost identical sequence of rock layers on the eastern coast of South America.

• No evidence, just a statement.

• This is evidence but does not support continental drift.

• This is evidence, and does support continental drift.

Why don’t the present shapes of the continents fit perfectly into a supercontinent?

• The continents were always in their current positions.
• The continents are made of different materials than before.
• Continental drift and geological changes have altered the shapes of continents.
• The ocean currents shape the continents' edges.