How did Alfred Wegener come up with the idea of continental drift? Fossils - certain fossils preserved in rocks of the same age but from different continents. The fossils of these organisms are found on lands that are now far apart. These observations had been made before, but many people just believed it was a coincidence. What evidence did Wegener not support his hypothesis of continental drift? Which statement best describes the theory of continental drift in terms of evidence that the continents move and the mechanism driving their movement, The theory was supported by the evidence and included a mechanism. It was hard for Wegner to back his theory as he was unable to explain how the continents moved. Destruction happens when one plate moves below the other at convergent boundaries. According to the latter hypothesis, Earths surface, or lithosphere, is composed of a number of large, rigid plates that float on a soft (presumably partially molten) layer of the mantle known as the asthenosphere. What pieces of evidence were used to support plate tectonics? These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. South America and Africa contain fossils of animals found only on those two continents, with corresponding geographic ranges. According to the Lystrosaurus and Cygnognathus body anatomy, they are not designed for swimming. Genetics. In addition South America and Africa looked like they could fit together like puzzle pieces. So, the fact that these organisms could not swim through the vast water bodies helps to substantiate the fact that the continents were once together to allow distribution of these organisms in various continents where their fossils were found on. He explained how the continents moved Question 9 30 seconds Q. Pangaea has not been the only supercontinent on Earth. identical rocks, mountains and structures. Increased knowledge about the configuration of the ocean floor and the subsequent formulation of the concepts of seafloor spreading and plate tectonics provided further support for continental drift. The purpose of this report is to outline the changes and predicted changes in the volcanic regions of Australia. Fossils of identical organisms were found on several continents indicating the continents were once joined. The causes of continental drift are perfectly explained by the plate tectonic theory. The Wallace Line. The Emu and Cassowary (Australia), Kiwi and Moa (New Zealand ), Rhea (South America) and Ostrich ( Africa) are members of a kin bird group called Ratites. Evidence Supporting Continental Drift Continental Drift Theory Proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912 250 million years ago, all of the continents were combined into one super-continent called "Pangaea" The continents gradually drifted apart to where they are today Alfred Wegener (1880-1930), German meteorologist and geologist, was the first . What types of evidence best supports the theory of plate tectonics? Which of the following observations about landforms best supports the theory of plate tectonics? What are 2 important fossils used to support continental drift? Africa has some of the greatest history, and physical geography. Copy the question and answer. The continents shapes fit well together and some continents have the same fossils. Updates? One of the first lines of evidence suggesting the existence of plate tectonics was the discovery of very similar fossils in rock masses separated by vast distances and by ocean expanses. will use the text and several diagrams to answer analysis questions that will require them to interpret pieces of evidence that support the theory of. Also, fitting the Americas with the continents across the Atlantic brings together similar kinds of rocks, fossils, and geologic structures. . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. From jungles to desserts, and colonialism to urbanization. THE CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY EVIDENCES AND EXAMPLES. The idea of a large-scale displacement of continents has a long history. Glossopteris - plant remains found in South America, Australia, Asia and Africa. Since these match up points consisted of the same kind of rock further proves that the continents were once together before breaking away and drifting. All rights reserved Essay Service Examples Science Continental Drift. Which two pieces of fossil evidence supports the idea of continental drift? It does not store any personal data. Evidence supporting the continental drift theory. It has affected the global climate, the worlds geographical positions and the evolution of animals. Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought continents moved over time. Fossils of creatures and plants discovered on different continents helped to him push his case that the continents were once locked together before breaking up and drifting away. Whilst the theory that the continents had moved over time had been speculated upon before, the theory wasnt properly developed until 1912. When plates drift away from each other, there is formation of new crust at divergent boundaries. Magnetic Reversals After molten lava emerges from a volcano, it solidifies to a rock. Wegener's accumulated evidence could be most logically explained by continental drift. This is called Ridge Push. After Pangaea split up, Wegner believed it formed the continents of Gondwanaland and Laurasia about 200,000 years ago before continuing to split apart to form the continents we know today. There are seven major tectonic plates: African, Antarctic, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, North American, South American and the Pacific. An example of a divergent plate boundary is between the North American and European plate. By Staff Writer Last Updated March 29, 2020 According to National Geographic, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics indicate that the continents do move or shift, which supports continental drift theory. Mountain ranges and the location of ancient climatic zones. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Which is evidence supporting the theory of continental drift? The second theory was that the continents had been in contact with each other millions of years ago, and had somehow drifted apart. Over the course of millions of year ago, this gradual movement caused the once combined supercontinent to separate into 7 continents you witness in the present day. The theory provided our understanding on the landmasses that inhabit this world as well as the ocean basins. Terms of Use, Evidence in Support of the Continental Drift: Analytical Essay., Evidence in Support of the Continental Drift: Analytical Essay [Internet]. Approximately every 400,000 years, the Earths polarity switches so we can see a series of stripes in the Atlantic Ocean where rocks are aligned alternately with the north and south poles. For example fossils of Mesosaurus a freshwater reptile have been found both in Brazil and western Africa. 2023 EduBirdie.com. Tropical plants found in Arctic- tropical plants cant grow in cold climates. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The earths outer shell is composed of plates that move a little bit every year. If you take a look at the map before the continents drifted away, you find that Mesosaurus is located in the southern parts of Africa and North America. Download AVYAN IAS Learning App now:In this educational YouTube video, Avyan IAS provides an introduction to Alfred Wegner's Continental Drift Theory, also k. Particles of magnetized minerals released from their parent igneous rocks by weathering may later realign themselves with the existing magnetic field at the time these particles are incorporated into sedimentary deposits. The plates continue to move apart at the speed that our fingernails grow. . What are the 5 evidences of continental drift? Which of the following was not a line of evidence used to support the hypothesis of continental drift? Through the theory of continental drift, humans have been able to figure out how the earths crust moves and the causes of volcanoes, earthquakes, oceanic trenches, formation of mountain ranges and other geological occurrences. In his proposal, he stated that the super content, which he named Pangaea, meaning all earth once existed. We will write an essay sample crafted to your needs. Have no time to work on your essay? Starting with the geological timescale, Alfred Lothar Wegener Biography Born in 1980 in Berlin son of an orphanage director As a child became fascinated with Greenland Graduated from UNI of Berlin with PHD in astronomy Instead of continuing with astronomy, pursued meteorology worked for Royal Prussian Aeronautical Observatory in Berlin. What observations about landforms best supports the theory of plate tectonics? What is the five evidence of continental drift? How do you fix wet condensation on walls? Oceanic ridges occur along some of the plate margins. Scientists agree that continents rest on rocks called tectonic plates, which shift and move. What is evidence use to prove continental drift? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Another important piece of evidence in the Continental Drift theory is the fossil relevance. short answer pls, 1. Lystrosaurus is Fossil from land reptiles. Specific interpretations in Darwins theories of evolution pose challenges to modes of proceeding within feminist critique. Wegener said that continents move around on Earth's surface and that they were once joined together as a single supercontinent. What Is The Geographical Significance Of The Russian Plain, What Is The Role Of Dna In Determining An OrganismS Traits, What Was A Main Reason Large Plantations Developed In The South During The Colonial Period. What supports Wegeners theory of plate tectonics? They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence: fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils. What evidence supports the theory of ocean floor? similar fossils found on different continents, This site is using cookies under cookie policy . What were some of the main problems in cities around the turn of the 20th century? A. Sea floor spreading indicates that since the continents presently move apart, previous continental drift was possible and probable as well. At convergent plates, oceanic and continental plates collide. Subjects . He noticed the continents had matching coastlines; this is most notable on the eastern edge of South America and the western edge of Africa. What evidence did Wegener have for his theory of continental drift? Continental Drift: The movement of continents across the ocean bed is known as continental drift. Fossils of the Mesosaurus, an ancient freshwater reptile found in the southern parts of South America and Africa, also indicate that the two continents could have once been one solid continent that drifted apart, since the reptile could not have swum across the ocean. What is thought to influence the overproduction and pruning of synapses in the brain quizlet? Glossopteris was Fossil from fern. This is a reptile that comes from the Early Permian of South Africa and South America. Continental drift is the suggestion that over long periods of geological time, the continents of the Earth have moved apart from each other and had once formed almost one single land mass known as Pangaea. Fossils of similar types of plants and animals in rocks of a similar age have been found on the shores of different continents, suggesting that the continents were once joined. There are two varieties of tectonic plates: Oceanic plates and Continental plates. As we travel further from the mid Atlantic ridge we can see the alignment changing which proves the continents have been moving away from each other. Aside from the congruency of continental shelf margins across the Atlantic, modern proponents of continental drift have amassed impressive geologic evidence to support their views. 6 pieces of evidence for continental drift. How does coal in Greenland support the idea of continental drift? There is variety of evidence that supports the claims that plate tectonics accounts for (1) the distribution of fossils on different continents (2) the occurrence of earthquakes and (3) continental and ocean floor features including mountains volcanoes faults and trenches. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Earthguide: Online Classroom Definition: Pangaea (ucsd.edu)There were also many supercontinents that existed before Pangaea such as Ur which is said to have existed 3 billion years ago, Columbia which existed 2.5 billion years ago and Rodinia which existed 1.3.-1.9 billion years ago. The following piece of evidence represents matching geologic provinces in Africa and South America. Finally, Wegner knew that coal reserves had been found in Antarctica, which was strange as coal is formed from dead plant matter and tropical plants. Another indication of continental drift is tectonic activity and seafloor spreading. What two pieces of evidence did Wegener discover that supported the idea of Pangaea quizlet? In 1908 Frank B. Taylor of the United States invoked the notion of continental collision to explain the formation of some of the worlds mountain ranges. According to the modern day map, these continents are far apart. Which of the following statements best describes the theory of continental drift? Over time, the organism decays and the area it occupied is replaced with inorganic rock. . What was probably the first evidence that led some to suspect the continents were once connected? Wegener supported his theory by demonstrating the biological and geological similarities between continents. Mesosaurus Plant Fossils- all these regions were once connected and had similar climates. Fossils of similar types of plants and animals in rocks of a similar age have been found on the shores of different continents, suggesting that the continents were once joined. Plate Tectonics Theory of Continental Drift The continental drift hypothesis was developed in the early part of the 20th century, mostly by Alfred Wegener. The geomorphology textbooks focusses on the detailed processes which takes places in the weathering of rocks and the transport of debris as landforms are created and destroyed. 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