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 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 evidence supported the idea of continental drift first?
The theory of continental drift is most associated with the
scientist Alfred Wegener
. In the early 20th century, Wegener published a paper explaining his theory that the continental landmasses were “drifting” across the Earth, sometimes plowing through oceans and into each other.
Which is the best evidence that continents that are now separated were once joined continents that were once joined now have similar climates continents that were once joined now have similar climates identical plant and animal fossils are found on continents that are now separated?
Wegener found
fossil evidence
that the continents were once joined (Figure below). The same type of plant and animal fossils are found on continents that are now widely separated. These organisms would not have been able to travel across the oceans.
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 are four pieces of evidence for 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 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
.
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 is the force that moves the continents?
The movement of these tectonic plates is likely caused by convection currents in the molten rock in Earth’s mantle below the crust. Earthquakes and volcanoes are the short-term results of this tectonic movement. The long-term result of
plate tectonics
is the movement of entire continents over millions of years (Fig.
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.
Why did no one believe Wegener’s theory?
The main reason that Wegener’s hypothesis was not accepted was
because he suggested no mechanism for moving the continents
. He thought the force of Earth’s spin was sufficient to cause continents to move, but geologists knew that rocks are too strong for this to be true.
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 do we know Pangea existed?
The rock formations of eastern North America, Western Europe, and northwestern Africa were later found to have a common origin, and they overlapped in time with the presence of Gondwanaland. Together, these discoveries supported the existence of Pangea. … Modern geology has shown that
Pangea did actually exist
.
What is believed to cause the plates to move?
The heat from radioactive processes within the planet’s interior
causes the plates to move, sometimes toward and sometimes away from each other. This movement is called plate motion, or tectonic shift.
What was the main problem with Continental Drift?
The problem that was used to reject Continental Drift is that
the theory had no mechanism or explanation for what could cause the movement of the massive continents
.
