What were the four pieces of evidence for continental drift?
The evidence for continental drift included the fit of the continents; the distribution of ancient fossils, rocks, and mountain ranges; and the locations of ancient climatic zones.
What was the main objection to Wegener’s continental drift hypothesis?
One of the main objections to the continental drift hypothesis was the inability of its supporters to provide an acceptable mechanism for the movement of continents.
What does the plate tectonic theory explain?
The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s solid outer crust, the lithosphere, is separated into plates that move over the asthenosphere, the molten upper portion of the mantle. Oceanic and continental plates come together, spread apart, and interact at boundaries all over the planet.
What was the major flaw in the hypothesis of continental drift?
The main problem with Wegener’s hypothesis of Continental Drift was the lack of a mechanism. He did not have an explanation for how the continents moved. His attempt to explain it using tides only made things worse. But both Galileo and Darwin had serious flaws in their theories when they were first presented.
Who created the idea of Pangea?
Alfred Wegener
What if Pangea never split?
On Pangea, we might have less diversity of species. The species at the top of the food chain today would most likely remain there, but some of today’s animals would not exist in Pangea. They wouldn’t have a chance to evolve. Fewer animals might make it easier to travel.
What was Gondwana answer?
Gondwana was an ancient supercontinent that broke up about 180 million years ago. The continent eventually split into landmasses we recognize today: Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula.
What is the difference between Pangea and Gondwana?
Gondwanaland was the land mass made up of all the southern continents plus India. It was separated from the northern portion, Laurasia (North America plus Eurasia) by a wedge-shaped seaway, called the Tethys. Pangaea (“All the earth”) was the collective label for all of it.
What do you know about Gondwana land?
Definition. Gondwanaland or “Gondwana” is the name for the southern half of the Pangaean supercontinent that existed some 300 million years ago. Gondwanaland is composed of the major continental blocks of South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India, Antarctica, and Australia (Figure 1).
Why Gondwanaland is so named?
The continent of Gondwana was named by the Austrian scientist Eduard Suess, after the Gondwana region of central India which is derived from Sanskrit for “forest of the Gonds”. The name had been previously used in a geological context, first by H.B.