ALFRED LOTHAR

WEGENER 1880-1930
- German meteorologist,
geophysicist, and polar
researcher.
- Formulated the first
complete statement of
the Continental drift
Hypothesis.
PANGEA

ALL EARTH
CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

Subtitle
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
• State the Continental drift theory
• Perform
an activity that recognizes
how the Continental Drift Theory was
developed:
• Giveevidences that support
Continental Drift Theory
 CONTINENTAL DRIFT ACTIVITY
• PROCEDURE:
You will be piecing together a puzzle of the supercontinent Pangea based on fossil and
rock evidence on the present day continents.
1. On the puzzle pieces handout, assign a color to each type of fossil or mountain
belt in the legend and color the areas on the landmasses according to the
legend.
2. Use scissors to cut along the borders of the continents. These are the
approximate shape of the continents after Pangea broke up.
3. Place the continents on a piece of construction paper and move them around
using the fossil and mountain chain evidence to match the continents together in
the position they were in when they were part of Pangea. The pieces may not fit
together exactly!
4. When you have assembled Pangea based on the fossil and rock locations, glue
the continents onto your construction paper in the shape of the supercontinent.
Glue the legend to your puzzle
 GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. What is the idea of Continental Drift?
2. Which 2 continents have the most obvious fit of the
coastlines?
3. How were the fossil symbols and mountain belts helpful
in deciding where to move the continents?
4. Why don’t the present shapes of the continents fit
perfectly into a supercontinent?
5. Which fossil occurs on the most landmasses? What
does this suggest about when these particular continents
broke up?
EVIDENCE THAT SUPPORT
CONTINENTAL DRIFT
THEORY
 The Continental
Jigsaw Puzzled
1. The most visible and fascinating
evidence that these continents
were once one is their shapes.
The edge of one continent
surprisingly matches the edge
of another: South America and
Africa fit together; India,
Antarctica, and Australia
matches one another; Eurasia
and North America complete
the whole continental puzzle in
the north.
 Evidence from
Fossils
Fossils are preserved remains or
traces of organisms (plants and
animals) from the remote past.
Fossilized leaves of an extinct plant
Glossopteris were found in 250
million years old rocks. These fossils
were located in the continents of
Southern Africa, Australia, India,
and Antarctica, which are now
separated from each other by wide
oceans. The large seeds of this plant
could not possibly travel a long
journey by the wind or survive a
rough ride through ocean waves.
 Evidence from
Fossils
Mesosaurus and Lystosaurus
are freshwater reptiles. Fossils
of these animals were
discovered in different
continents, such as in South
America and Africa. It is
impossible for these reptiles to
swim over the vast oceans and
move from one continent to
another. Fossils were also found
in Antarctica.
 Evidence from
Rock Fossils
Found in rocks support the
Continental Drift Theory. The
rocks themselves also provide
evidence that continents
drifted apart from each other.
From the previous activity, you
have learned that Africa fits
South America. Rock
formations in Africa line up
with that in South America as if
it was a long mountain range.
 Past Climate/Coal
deposits
Coal beds were formed
from the compaction and
decomposition of swamp
plants that lived million
years ago. These were
discovered in South
America, Africa, Indian
subcontinent, Southeast
Asia, and even in
Antarctica.
 Past Climate/Coal
deposits
The current location of Antarctica
could not sustain substantial
amount of life. If there is a
substantial quantity of coal in it,
thus, it only means that
Antarctica must have been
positioned in a part of the Earth
where it once supported large
quantities of life. This leads to the
idea that Antarctica once
experienced a tropical climate,
thus, it might have been closer
before to the equator.
 Mountains
Ranges
Some mountain
ranges on different
continents seem to
match.
Ex: ranges in Canada
match Norway and
Sweden
Ex: Appalachian Mtn.
match UK mtn
EVALUATION
1. Enumerate the evidence presented by Alfred
Wegener that supports his Continental Drift
Theory. Give an example for each.
2. With numerous evidence presented by Alfred
Wegener that supports continental drift theory,
why was it rejected?