Choose one of the four fossils (Cynognathus, Mesosaurus, Lystrosaurus, or Glossopteris) from the image below and explain how that fossil supports the Theory of Continental Drift.
In Your Response Include:
1) Explain the Theory of Continental Drift (1 point)
2) Identify one fossil (from the picture below) that supports the Theory of Continental Drift (1 point)
3) Explain how/why that fossil supports the Theory of Continental Drift (1 point)
1) The Theory of Continental Drift, proposed by Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century, suggests that the continents on Earth were once joined together in a single supercontinent called Pangaea. According to this theory, Pangaea slowly broke apart over millions of years, with the pieces moving away from each other to form the continents we see today. This movement is referred to as continental drift and is attributed to the processes of plate tectonics.
2) From the image below, the fossil that supports the Theory of Continental Drift is Glossopteris.
3) Glossopteris is a plant fossil that was discovered in multiple locations, including South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica. This distribution is significant because Glossopteris was a land plant that required a specific climate to thrive. The fact that identical fossils of Glossopteris have been found in these distant and currently separated continents suggests that these areas were once connected and shared the same environmental conditions.
Based on this fossil evidence, the Theory of Continental Drift proposes that these continents were once part of a single landmass, Pangaea, and have since drifted apart. Glossopteris supports this theory by demonstrating that the continents were once connected, as this plant could not have easily crossed vast ocean barriers to reach such remote locations. Instead, its widespread distribution suggests that the continents on which it was found were once connected, but have since moved apart due to continental drift.
1) The Theory of Continental Drift was proposed by German scientist Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century. This theory suggests that the Earth's continents were once part of a single supercontinent called Pangaea, which began to break apart around 200 million years ago. Over time, the continents drifted away from each other to their current positions, forming the continents as we know them today.
2) From the given options, the fossil that supports the Theory of Continental Drift is Mesosaurus.
3) Mesosaurus is an ancient reptile that lived approximately 280 million years ago. Fossils of Mesosaurus have been found in both South America (Brazil) and South Africa. The interesting aspect of this is that Mesosaurus was not capable of crossing vast oceanic distances, and hence, its presence in both continents suggests that there must have been a connection between them at some point.
Since the Atlantic Ocean currently separates South America and South Africa, the existence of Mesosaurus fossils in both locations supports the Theory of Continental Drift. It indicates that these continents were once connected, allowing the reptiles to freely move between them. This observation provides evidence for the concept that the continents were once joined together and have since drifted apart over geologic time, validating Wegener's theory of continental drift.
1) The Theory of Continental Drift, formulated by Alfred Wegener in the early 20th century, suggests that the Earth's continents were once united in a single supercontinent called Pangaea. According to this theory, the continents have gradually moved over time, breaking apart and drifting to their current positions.
2) From the image provided, one possible fossil that could support the Theory of Continental Drift is the fossil of Glossopteris.
3) The fossil of Glossopteris supports the Theory of Continental Drift because it is an ancient plant fossil that has been found in several different parts of the world, including South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica. The presence of this fossil in these various locations suggests that these continents were once connected and had similar environments that allowed for the spread of Glossopteris plants. This supports the idea that these continents were once part of a larger landmass (Pangaea) and have since drifted apart to their current positions.