Page 152 - Science Course 2 (Book 2)

Mo11-L4a: What is Continental Drift?

Evidence that Continents Move Wegener studied the sediments left behind and the
glacial grooves that formed when the ice sheets
Evidence to support Wegener’s hypothesis is found melted and Pangaea spread apart.
in climate clues; rock clues; fossil clues.
This provided climate evidence for continental drift.

The presence of an ice sheet covering Pangea could
explain glacial features found on some continents
today.

Fossil remains found of Cynognathus, a Triassic
land reptile approximately 3m long.

Fossil remains found of the fresh water reptile
Mesosaurus

Fossil remains found of the Triassic land reptile
Lystrosaurus

Fossil of the fern Glossopteris found in all of the
southern continents, show that they were once
joined.

When Wegener pieced Pangaea together, he pro- Animals and plants that
posed that the continents were located closer to live on separate continents
the South Pole 250 million years ago. can be unique to that continent alone.
Fossils of similar organisms have been found on
Wegener suggested that a large sheet of ice covered several continents separated by oceans.
the continents.

Fossils of a plant
called Glossopteris
have been found on
continents that are
now separated by
oceans.

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