How can fossils be used as evidence for continental drift?

Fossil Evidence One type of evidence that strongly supported the Theory of Continental Drift is the fossil record. 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.

How does the presence of similar fossils of ancient plants and animals in different continents indicate?

Continental drift was a theory that explained how continents shift position on Earth’s surface. Set forth in 1912 by Alfred Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist, continental drift also explained why look-alike animal and plant fossils, and similar rock formations, are found on different continents.

Why are the fossils of the fern Glossopteris helpful in supporting the continental drift theory?

WEGNER’S EVIDENCE FOR CONTINENTAL DRIFT Evidence from fossilized organisms and mountain chains can be used to reconstruct the positions of today’s continents and landmasses to form the supercontinent Pangea. Glossopteris ferns had very heavy seeds that could not move by wind or drift on ocean currents.

What fossilized fern was found in Africa Australia and South America?

The Glossopteris fossil is found in Australia, Antarctica, India, South Africa, and South America—all the southern continents.

What are 5 pieces of evidence that support continental drift?

The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones.

What piece of evidence is considered the strongest evidence for Pangea?

Finally, the strongest evidence for the existence of Pangaea is something called paleomagnetism. Some rocks have minerals inside ofthem that are magnetic, and when the rock forms those magnetic minerals will line up and point to the North Pole.

What are the 4 pieces of evidence supporting continental drift?

Where can you find fossils of ancient ferns?

Ancient Ferns are prehistoric plants that can only be placed under leaves. They are a very reliable primary food source for herbivorous Mobs.

Which is the only living fern in the world?

Other fern groups have a wide diversity of forms, including horsetails and whisk ferns, and produce spores from a group of cells on their leaves. Horsetails are the only living members of the Equisetaceae, a spore-bearing family of vascular plants that was extremely diverse during the late Paleozoic era.

How are ferns used to create a prehistoric landscape?

Whilst it’s main use is for feeding dinosaurs, it can also be used to create a prehistoric landscape. Ferns can be obtained by putting a Plant Fossil in an Analyzer.

Where can fossils be found in the world?

Also, fossils of the plant Glossopteris have been found on South America, Africa, India, Antarctica, and Australia. The only way these fossils can be found on continents that are separated by oceans is if the continents were once together (connected). These ancient animals and plants could not have swam across oceans!

How can fossils be used as evidence for Continental Drift?

What fossil evidence was there that the continents were once joined?

This indicates that these continents had to be once joined together because the extensive oceans between these land masses act as a type of barrier for fossil transfer. Four fossil examples include: the Mesosaurus, Cynognathus, Lystrosaurus, and Glossopteris. Modern day representation of the Mesosaurus.

What evidence supports the theory that the continents were once joined together?

Wegener then assembled an impressive amount of evidence to show that Earth’s continents were once connected in a single supercontinent. Wegener knew that fossil plants and animals such as mesosaurs, a freshwater reptile found only South America and Africa during the Permian period, could be found on many continents.

What evidence do we have to suggest that the continents once formed Pangea?

Scientists have found that rocks on the east coast of South America are the same as rocks found on the west coast of Africa. These rocks are different from rocks found in other places on Earth, suggesting that the continents were once connected. Plant and animal fossils also reveal evidence.

What are the evidence of seafloor spreading?

Abundant evidence supports the major contentions of the seafloor-spreading theory. First, samples of the deep ocean floor show that basaltic oceanic crust and overlying sediment become progressively younger as the mid-ocean ridge is approached, and the sediment cover is thinner near the ridge.

What was the response to Wegener’s hypothesis?

“That was always his response: Just assert it again, even more strongly.” By the time Wegener published the final version of his theory, in 1929, he was certain it would sweep other theories aside and pull together all the accumulating evidence into a unifying vision of the earth’s history.

How did continental drift contradict the theory of evolution?

Fossil Evidence. If Continental Drift had not occurred, the alternative explanations would be: The species evolved independently on separate continents – contradicting Darwin’s theory of evolution. They swam to the other continent/s in breeding pairs to establish a second population.

Why are there so many fossils in Antarctica?

Fossilised leaves found in the area show that there was a large diversity of plants that once lived there.

Is there any evidence that the continents once joined?

Fossil Evidence. There are many examples of fossils found on separate continents and nowhere else, suggesting the continents were once joined. If Continental Drift had not occurred, the alternative explanations would be: The species evolved independently on separate continents – contradicting Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Why are fossils found on two different continents?

There are many examples of fossils found on separate continents and nowhere else, suggesting the continents were once joined. If Continental Drift had not occurred, the alternative explanations would be: The species evolved independently on separate continents – contradicting Darwin’s theory of evolution.