The Earth’s Mechanism

Continental Drift Theory • Glossopteris – can be found

on the continents of
• Proposed by Alfred
Southern Africa, Australia,
Wegener, a German
India and Antarctica which
Meteorologist
are now separated by wide
• He said that the continents
oceans. Glossopteris is a
were once a large mass, and
fossilized extinct plant.
he named it Pangaea.
• Mesosaurus, Lystosaurus, &
• The Pangaea started to
Cynonagthus – are fresh
break into two smaller
water reptiles. They are
supercontinent called
fossils of animals that were
Laurasia and
discovered in different
Gondwanaland during
continents such as South
Jurassic Period.
America and Africa.
• These smaller
supercontinents broke into Evidences from Rocks
continents and separated/
The rocks also provide evidence
drifted apart since then.
that continents were once together
Evidences that supports the and drifted apart from each other.
Theory Rock formations in Africa lines up
wth the folded cape mountains on
The Continental Jigsaw Puzzle
South America as if it’s a long
When we look at the shapes of the mountain range.
continents, their edges matches
with one another.
• South America and Africa
• India, Antarctica, and
Australia
• Eurasia and North America
Evidences from fossils
Fossils are preserved
remains/traces of organisms from
the remote past. These organisms
that are found on continents could
not possibly travel in oceans.