What Fossil helped support Wegener’s hypothesis 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 evidence exists to support the existence of Pangaea?
The rock formations of eastern North America, Western Europe, and northwestern Africa were later found to have a common origin, and they overlapped in time with the presence of Gondwanaland. Together, these discoveries supported the existence of Pangea.
What was Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis about Pangea?
In 1912 Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) noticed the same thing and proposed that the continents were once compressed into a single protocontinent which he called Pangaea (meaning "all lands"), and over time they have drifted apart into their current distribution.
Why did Wegener name Pangaea?
Pangea's existence was first proposed in 1912 by German meteorologist Alfred Wegener as a part of his theory of continental drift. Its name is derived from the Greek pangaia, meaning “all the Earth.”
What is the evidence that supports Wegener’s theory?
Wegener supported his theory by demonstrating the biological and geological similarities between continents. South America and Africa contain fossils of animals found only on those two continents, with corresponding geographic ranges.
How does the fossil record support the theory of plate tectonics?
Finding identical or similar fossils in areas separated by vast distances were some of the first clues that scientists used to reconstruct past plate movement. This distribution of fossils led to theories that the southern continents were once joined in a supercontinent called Gondwana.
What do fossils tell us about Pangaea?
Glacial deposits specifically till of the same age and structure are found on many separate continents that would have been together in the continent of Pangaea. Fossil evidence for Pangaea includes the presence of similar and identical species on continents that are now great distances apart.
What is an example of fossil evidence of Pangea?
Four fossil examples include: the Mesosaurus, Cynognathus, Lystrosaurus, and Glossopteris.
How did Wegener discover Pangea?
Wegener noticed the similarity in the coastlines of eastern South America and western Africa and speculated that those lands had once formed a supercontinent, Pangaea, which had split and slowly moved many miles apart over geologic time.
What did Wegener notice about fossils on different continents?
The continents were connected when sections of the rock stuctures formed. What did Wegener notice about fossils on different continents? Fossils of the same species were found on South America or Africa.
What was Wegener’s evidence for his theory?
Wegener supported his theory by demonstrating the biological and geological similarities between continents. South America and Africa contain fossils of animals found only on those two continents, with corresponding geographic ranges.
How does the distribution of fossils around Earth support the theory of Pangaea?
Finding identical or similar fossils in areas separated by vast distances were some of the first clues that scientists used to reconstruct past plate movement. This distribution of fossils led to theories that the southern continents were once joined in a supercontinent called Gondwana.
Why did Wegener think that fossil evidence showed that the continents must once have been joined?
There are various examples of fossils found on separate continents and in no other regions. This indicates that these continents had to be once joined together because the extensive oceans between these land masses act as a type of barrier for fossil transfer.
How does fossil evidence support Wegener’s theory?
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 fossils did Wegener find on different continents?
Wegener knew that fossil plants and animals such as mesosaurs (opens in new tab), a freshwater reptile found only in South America and Africa during the Permian period, could be found on many continents. He also matched up rock formations on either side of the Atlantic Ocean like puzzle pieces.
What is the fossil evidence for Alfred Wegener?
Wegener used fossil evidence to support his continental drift hypothesis. The fossils of these organisms are found on lands that are now far apart. Grooves and rock deposits left by ancient glaciers are found today on different continents very close to the equator.
How did Wegener explain why fossils of land animals were found on continents that are across oceans from one another?
How did Wegener explain why fossils of land animals were found on continents that are across oceans from one another? – Animals evolved separately on each continent.
How does fossil evidence support the theory of plate tectonics?
Evidence from fossils, glaciers, and complementary coastlines helps reveal how the plates once fit together. Fossils tell us when and where plants and animals once existed. Some life "rode" on diverging plates, became isolated, and evolved into new species.
How did Wegener explain why fossils of land animals were found on continents Brainly?
How did Wegener explain similar fossils on different continents? Since neither reptile could have swum great distances across salt water he inferred that they once lived on a single landmass that has since split apart.
Why was Wegener interested in finding fossils of the same plants and animals on two different continents?
Why was Wegener interested in finding fossils of the same plants and animals on two different continents? He reasoned that if the connivers had once been joined, fossils of the same plants and animals should be found in areas that had once been connected. What fossil was found in South America and Western Africa?
How did Wegener explain why fossils of the land animals were found on continents that are across oceans from one another?
How did Wegener explain why fossils of land animals were found on continents that are across oceans from one another? – Animals evolved separately on each continent.
How can fossils be used as evidence for continental drift?
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.
How do fossils support the theory of evolution?
Fossils document the existence of now-extinct species, showing that different organisms have lived on Earth during different periods of the planet's history. They can also help scientists reconstruct the evolutionary histories of present-day species.
Why are fossil records used as good evidence for evolution?
Key Points. Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms from the past. Fossils are important evidence for evolution because they show that life on earth was once different from life found on earth today.
What is the role of fossils in supporting the theory of common descent?
How do fossils support the theory of common descent? They are a record of at least some intermediate types of organisms and thus document the process of evolution. The DNA of cats and dogs is much more similar than the DNA of cats and hamsters.
How the fossil record supports the theory of evolution?
Fossils provide evidence for the evolutionary change through now extinct forms that led to modern species. For example, there is a rich fossil record that shows the evolutionary transitions from horse ancestors to modern horses that document intermediate forms and a gradual adaptation o changing ecosystems.
Why is fossil record important?
The fossil record helps paleontologists, archaeologists, and geologists place important events and species in the appropriate geologic era. It is based on the Law of Superposition which states that in undisturbed rock sequences the bottom layers are older than the top layers.
How fossil records provide evidence for evolution?
Fossils provide evidence for the evolutionary change through now extinct forms that led to modern species. For example, there is a rich fossil record that shows the evolutionary transitions from horse ancestors to modern horses that document intermediate forms and a gradual adaptation o changing ecosystems.
How does the fossil record support the idea of natural selection?
Often, fossil species first appear in older rocks and disappear in younger rocks, providing evidence that species change. Changes in climate, indicated by geology, correlate with changes in fossil species and their adaptations, supporting the idea of natural selection.
How does the fossil record provide evidence for evolution quizlet?
The fossil record supports evolution by showing the changes in different species over time. Explain how animals that live in very different climates can have a common ancestor. Animals that live in very different environments can definitely have a common ancestor. This can happen because of evolution.