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
.
Is there evidence to support the theory of continental drift?
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.
What evidence best supports the theory of 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.
What is the the theory of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener in Greenland. Plate tectonics is
the theory that Earth’s land masses are in constant motion
. The realization that Earth’s land masses move was first proposed by Alfred Wegener, which he called 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.
What are the 4 pieces of evidence of continental drift?
The four pieces of evidence for the continental drift include
continents fitting together like a puzzle, scattering ancient fossils, rocks, mountain ranges, and the old climatic zones’ locations
.
What is the 4 evidence of continental drift?
They based their idea of continental drift on several lines of evidence:
fit of the continents, paleoclimate indicators, truncated geologic features, and fossils
.
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 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 is the continental drift theory important?
continental drift, large-scale horizontal movements of continents relative to one another and to the ocean basins during one or more episodes of geologic time. This concept was
an important precursor to the development of the theory of plate tectonics
, which incorporates it.
What are the 3 theories of plate tectonics?
The three types of plate boundaries are
divergent, convergent, and transform
. They are described in the following three concepts. Most geological activity takes place at plate boundaries.
What is the difference between plate tectonics and continental drift?
The main difference between plate tectonics and continental drift is that
plate tectonics describes the features and movement of Earth’s surface in the present and in the past
whereas continental drift describes the drifting of Earth’s continents on the ocean bed.
What is the best piece of evidence for plate tectonics?
Evidence from
fossils, glaciers, and complementary coastlines
helps reveal how the plates once fit together. Fossils tell us when and where plants and animals once existed. Some life “rode” on diverging plates, became isolated, and evolved into new species.
What are the 4 types of plate tectonics?
- Divergent: extensional; the plates move apart. Spreading ridges, basin-range.
- Convergent: compressional; plates move toward each other. Includes: Subduction zones and mountain building.
- Transform: shearing; plates slide past each other. Strike-slip motion.
Who is the father of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener
: The Father of Continental Drift.
Are the continents floating?
The continents do not float on a sea of molten rock
. … Under the continents is a layer of solid rock known as the upper mantle or asthenosphere. Though solid, this layer is weak and ductile enough to slowly flow under heat convection, causing the tectonic plates to move.
