Why were the fossil remains of Mesosaurus important to Alfred Wegener?(1 point) Responses They were the first fossils discovered in Africa and South America. They were the first fossils discovered in Africa and South America. They suggested that the two continents where they were found could have been joined. They suggested that the two continents where they were found could have been joined. They proved that Mesosaurus is extinct. They proved that Mesosaurus is extinct. They proved that Earth is composed of several rocky tectonic plates.
The correct response is: They suggested that the two continents where they were found could have been joined.
The correct answer is: They suggested that the two continents where they were found could have been joined.
The correct answer is: They suggested that the two continents where they were found could have been joined.
Alfred Wegener, a German meteorologist and geophysicist, proposed the theory of continental drift in the early 20th century. This theory suggested that the Earth's continents were once joined together in a single supercontinent called Pangaea and have since moved apart.
The fossil remains of Mesosaurus, an extinct aquatic reptile, played a significant role in Wegener's theory. Mesosaurus fossils were found in both Africa and South America. Wegener observed that the distribution of these fossils on opposite continents was peculiar because Mesosaurus could not have swum across vast oceanic distances. Therefore, Wegener concluded that the only explanation for this distribution was that Africa and South America were once joined together, allowing Mesosaurus to freely move between them.
Based on this observation, Wegener argued that the continents were capable of moving over time, and this evidence supported his theory of continental drift. The discovery of Mesosaurus fossils in Africa and South America provided important geological evidence for the existence of Pangaea and the movement of continents.