Although the evidence for continental drift was extremely strong, scientists rejected the idea
because no mechanism for how solid continents could move around on the solid earth was developed
. The discovery of apparent polar wander renewed scientists interest in continental drift.
What are the 6 pieces of evidence for the theory of continental drift?
What are six pieces of evidence for the continental drift theory?
Reptile Fossils
– dinosaurs couldn’t have swam across a vast ocean. Plant Fossils- all these regions were once connected and had similar climates. Tropical plants found in Arctic- tropical plants can’t grow in cold climates.
Which of these did not provide evidence for continental drift?
Which of these did NOT provide evidence for continental drift?
oceanic plate theory
.
What are the 4 evidence of 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 are the 5 evidences of continental drift theory?
They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence:
fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils
.
What is the evidence for Pangea?
Glacial deposits, specifically till, of the same age and structure are found on many separate continents that would have been together in the continent of Pangaea. Fossil evidence for Pangaea includes
the presence of similar and identical species on continents that are now great distances apart
.
What are two pieces of evidence for seafloor spreading?
Several types of evidence from the oceans supported Hess’s theory of sea-floor spreading-
evidence from molten material, magnetic stripes, and drilling samples
. This evidence also led sci- entists to look again at Wegener’s theory of continental drift.
Why was the continental drift theory rejected?
This idea was quickly rejected by the scientific community primarily because
the actual forces generated by the rotation of the earth were calculated to be insufficient to move continents
.
What caused the Continental Drift?
Wegener suggested that
perhaps the rotation of the Earth
caused the continents to shift towards and apart from each other. … Today, we know that the continents rest on massive slabs of rock called tectonic plates. The plates are always moving and interacting in a process called plate tectonics.
What is Continental Drift theory explain?
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.
How can fossils be used as evidence for Continental Drift?
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:
They swam to the other continent/s in breeding pairs to establish a second population
. …
What are the limitations of Continental Drift theory?
Drawbacks of Continental Drift Theory
Wegener failed to explain why the drift began only in Mesozoic era and not before.
The theory doesn’t consider oceans
. Proofs heavily depend on assumptions that are generalistic. Forces like buoyancy, tidal currents and gravity are too weak to be able to move continents.
What is the second evidence of Continental Drift theory?
Alfred Wegener collected diverse pieces of evidence to support his theory, including geological “fit” and fossil evidence. … Another important piece of evidence in the Continental Drift theory is
the fossil relevance
. There are various examples of fossils found on separate continents and in no other regions.
Who is the father of Continental Drift?
Alfred Wegener
: The Father of Continental Drift.
What are 3 pieces of evidence for Pangea?
Alfred Wegener, in the first three decades of this century, and DuToit in the 1920s and 1930s gathered evidence that the continents had moved. They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence:
fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils
.
Did dinosaurs live on Pangea?
Dinosaurs lived on all of the continents
. At the beginning of the age of dinosaurs (during the Triassic Period, about 230 million years ago), the continents were arranged together as a single supercontinent called Pangea. During the 165 million years of dinosaur existence this supercontinent slowly broke apart.