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 from climate supported the idea of continental drift?
The fossils of the reptiles Mesosaurus and Lystrosaurus and a fernlike plant called Glossopteris have been found on widely separated landmasses . This convinced Wegener that the continents had once been united. Wegener used evidence from climate change to further support his theory.
What is the climate evidence for 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 climate zones . Although the evidence was extremely strong, scientists did not yet know how continents could move, so most rejected the idea.
How do climate clues explain continental drift?
Explain how Wegener used climate clues to support his hypothesis of continental drift? Wegener hypothesized that Spitsbergen drifted from tropical regions to the arctic . ... Because if the continents were connected at one time, then rocks that make up the continents should be the same in locations where they were joined.
What evidence best supports 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 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 the 4 evidences 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 are 3 pieces of evidence for Pangea?
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 6 pieces of evidence that support 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.
Why was Wegener’s continental drift rejected?
Wegener’s inability to provide an adequate explanation of the forces responsible for continental drift and the prevailing belief that the earth was solid and immovable resulted in the scientific dismissal of his theories.
What is best explained by plate tectonics?
The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s solid outer crust, the lithosphere, is separated into plates that move over the asthenosphere, the molten upper portion of the mantle. Oceanic and continental plates come together, spread apart, and interact at boundaries all over the planet.
Why continental drift is 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.
Why did Pangea break up?
Scientists believe that Pangea broke apart for the same reason that the plates are moving today . The movement is caused by the convection currents that roll over in the upper zone of the mantle. This movement in the mantle causes the plates to move slowly across the surface of the Earth.
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.
Do you believe in the continental drift theory?
Scientists did not accept Wegener’s theory of continental drift. ... 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. The continents are still moving today.
What is the difference between continental drift and plate tectonics?
The theory of continental drift suggests that all the land masses on earth were once part of one supercontinent . Plate tectonics is the ability to measure the movement of land masses.
