Why would the fossil of an ocean fish found on two different continents would not be good evidence of continental drift?
A fossil of an ocean fish on two different continents wouldn’t be convincing evidence of continental drift because the oceans enable marine organisms like fish to move between different continents with relative ease.
Why are identical fossils found on two different continents that are separated by large oceans?
The only way these fossils can be found on continents that are separated by oceans is if the continents were once together (connected). Therefore, these creatures must have lived on a giant continent that later broke apart, and the pieces drifted away from each other.
Why are the same fossils found on different continents?
Fossil Evidence 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. Also, fossils of the land reptile Lystrosaurus have been found in rocks of the same age in Africa, India and Antarctica.
Why is the fact that similar fossils have been found on different continents considered evidence for continental drift?
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.
Which is the best evidence that two continents were once connected?
Wegener then assembled an impressive amount of evidence to show that Earth’s continents were once connected in a single supercontinent. Wegener knew that fossil plants and animals such as mesosaurs, a freshwater reptile found only South America and Africa during the Permian period, could be found on many continents.
Will Pangea ever form again?
The answer is yes. Pangea wasn’t the first supercontinent to form during Earth’s 4.5-billion-year geologic history, and it won’t be the last. Next came Rodinia, which dominated the planet between 1.2 billion and 750 million years ago.
Why did Pangaea split apart?
During the Triassic Period, the immense Pangea landmass began breaking apart as a result of continental rifting. A rift zone running the width of the supercontinent began to open up an ocean that would eventually separate the landmass into two enormous continents.
Was Pangea debunked?
Modern geology has shown that Pangea did actually exist. In contrast to Wegener’s thinking, however, geologists note that other Pangea-like supercontinents likely preceded Pangea, including Rodinia (circa 1 billion years ago) and Pannotia (circa 600 million years ago).