One of the main pieces of fossil evidence used by Wegener to support the theories of continental drift and plate tectonics was the discovery of similar plant and animal fossils on different continents that are now separated by vast oceans. For example, he found matching plant fossils from South America and Africa, suggesting that these continents were once connected. Wegener also found fossils of the reptile Mesosaurus in Brazil and South Africa, indicating that these regions were once joined together as well. This evidence supported the idea that the continents had once been part of a larger landmass that later broke apart.
