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100
Scientists at the time rejected Wegener’s hypothesis of continental drift because he could not explain how or why Earth’s continents move.
True or False
True
100
The presence of the same _____ on several continents supports the hypothesis of continental drift.
A) fossils
B) rocks
C) neither a nor b
D) both a and b
D) both a and b
100
Alfred Wegener developed the continental drift hypothesis, which proposed that Earth’s continents had once been joined as a single landmass and then drifted apart. Several observations led to the hypothesis. Which observation did NOT support the hypothesis of continental drift?
A) The sizes of some present-day continents are the same.
B) The shapes of some present-day continents fit together.
C) The ages and types of rock formations on widely separated continents are similar.
D) Fossils of the same land animals have been found on widely separated continents
A, B, C, & D
100
Name this supercontinent:
Pangaea
200
Why did Alfred Wegener believe that all of the continents once had been joined?
Why did Alfred Wegener believe that all of the continents once had been joined?
200
Matching ____ on different continents are evidence for continental drift.
A) river systems
B) rock structures
C) weather patterns
D) wind systems
B) rock structures
200
What happened to Wegener in an expedition Greenland in an effort to collect more evidence for his theory of Pangaea?
He died due to climate conditions when he went out to gather supplies for his colleagues.
200
Some early mapmakers thought that the coastline of South America matched the coastline of Asia.
True or False
False
300
A lack of explanation for continental drift prevented many scientists from accepting that a single supercontinent called ____ once existed.
A) Glomar
B) Glossopteris
C) Pangaea
D) Wegener
C) Pangaea
300
____ is a fossil fern that helped support Wegener’s hypothesis of continental drift.
A) Gondwanaland
B) Kannemeyerid
C) Mesosaurus
D) Glossopteris
D) Glossopteris
300
What does this map suggest to what happened to Pangaea?
That Pangaea broke apart into two supercontinents: Laurasia and Gondwana.
300
Using the image provided, when looking at the shape of the continental shelves that surround South America and Africa, it can be observed that the continental shelves fit together. This observation is used to support the idea that...
A) the continental shelves of these two continents are made of the same type of rock material.
B) the tectonic plates beneath these continents are roughly the same age.
C) these continents were joined in the past and have moved apart since that time.
D) the material that makes up these two continental shelves comes from sediments eroded from the continents.
C) these continents were joined in the past and have moved apart since that time.
400
Wegener believed that the continents were assembled as part of a supercontinent about ____ years ago.
A) 250 million
B) 350 million
C) 450 million
D) 550 million
A) 250 million
400
Which of the following provides evidence that the continents on tectonic plates have moved away from each other in the past?
A) The thickness of rock layers varies at different depths.
B) The frequency of volcanic activity is higher at edges of tectonic plates.
C) Ocean currents can be disrupted near boundaries between tectonic plates.
D) Fossils of the same plants and animals are found on widely separated continents.
D) Fossils of the same plants and animals are found on widely separated continents.
400
Identify two pieces of evidence used to support the hypothesis of continental drift. Describe how the evidence supports the hypothesis.
Rocks of the same age and composition have been found on different continents, indicating that the rocks formed at the same time and place.
Fossils of land-dwelling organisms, such as Cynognathus, have been found on continents that are now separated by vast oceans. These discoveries are evidence that the continents were once joined together, and drifted apart over time.
(Note: Students may also mention evidence from glacial features and coal deposits. Accept all reasonable evidence.)
400
The map shows where glaciers existed 250 million years ago.
Which explanation is supported by the data in the map?
A) Glaciers formed in the locations shown on the map because of a change in climate that caused the southern hemisphere to experience an ice age.
B) Glaciers at one time covered most of the continents in the world, but the glaciers melted and the areas on the map are places where glaciers still remain.
C) There is evidence of glaciers in the areas identified on the map because the current climate in those areas still supports glacier formation.
D) There is evidence of glaciers in the areas identified on the map because the continents were once located near a polar region, but then over time the continents moved apart.
D) There is evidence of glaciers in the areas identified on the map because the continents were once located near a polar region, but then over time the continents moved apart.
500
Alfred Wegener developed the continental drift hypothesis, which proposed that Earth’s continents had once been joined as a single landmass and then drifted apart. Several observations led to the hypothesis. Which observation did NOT support the hypothesis of continental drift?
A) The sizes of some present-day continents are the same.
B) The shapes of some present-day continents fit together.
C) The ages and types of rock formations on widely separated continents are similar.
D) Fossils of the same land animals have been found on widely separated continents
A) The sizes of some present-day continents are the same.
500
Name the fossilized fern below:
Glossopteris
500
Name the fossilized reptile.
Mesosaurus
500
Alfred Wegner found different types of evidence to help support the hypothesis of continental drift. He found fossils of a reptile called Mesosaurus on land areas that were once part of Pangaea. The locations where the fossils are found are shown in the figure provided.
A) A reptile would not have been able to swim across an entire ocean, so the landmasses must have been closer together.
B) It shows that the climates of both continents were different during the time that Mesosaurus lived.
C) This suggests that South America and Africa moved apart, but India, Antarctica, and Australia remained stationary.
D) It shows that Mesosaurus could only exist on South America and Africa because all other continents were covered in ice.
A) A reptile would not have been able to swim across an entire ocean, so the landmasses must have been closer together.