Which two continents have coasts that seem to fit together like a puzzle?
South America and Africa
What was Alfred Wegener's hypothesis?
All the continents were once joined together in a single landmass and have since drifted apart
What is continental drift?
The idea that the continents slowly move over Earth's surface
What was Wegener's supercontinent called?
Pangaea
How long ago did Pangaea exist?
About 300 million years ago
What type of evidence did Wegener use to support his hypothesis?
Evidence from land features, fossils, and climate
Aside from the coasts of Africa and South America matching, what other evidence from land features did Wegener use to support his hypothesis?
Coal fields in Europe and North America match up
What is a fossil?
Any trace of an ancient organism that has been preserved in rock
How do fossils provide support for Wegener's hypothesis?
Fossils of glossopteris ( a plant) and fossils of Mesosaurus and Lystrosaurus (freshwater reptiles) have been found in places now separated by oceans.
When a continent moves toward the equator, what happens to its climate?
It gets warmer.
When a continent moves away from the equator, what happens to its climate?
It gets colder.
How did Wegener use climate as support for his hypothesis?
Some fossils of tropical plants have been found in arctic regions.
Why did most geologists of Wegener's time reject his hypothesis?
Wegener could not identify the cause of continental drift.
