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 proved that Earth is composed of several rocky tectonic plates. They proved that Earth is composed of several rocky tectonic plates. 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.
The correct response is: 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.
The correct answer is: "They suggested that the two continents where they were found could have been joined."
Alfred Wegener was a German scientist who proposed the theory of continental drift in the early 20th century. He noticed that the shapes of the continents seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces, and he also observed similar fossil remains on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, such as the fossilized remains of the reptile Mesosaurus.
This finding was important to Wegener because it provided evidence that the continents of Africa and South America were once connected. The presence of the same type of fossil on both continents suggested that these landmasses were once adjacent and later moved apart. This observation supported Wegener's theory of continental drift, which proposed that the continents had once been joined together into a single supercontinent called Pangaea and had gradually drifted apart over millions of years.
Therefore, the fossil remains of Mesosaurus were significant to Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift because they provided evidence for the idea that the continents were not fixed in place but had undergone movements and changes over time.