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12.1 EVIDENCE FOR CONTINENTAL DRIFT
(PART 1)
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Date:
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(Reference: pp. 506 - 517 of BC Science 10)
•
Early maps of the world caused Wegener, in the early 20th century,
to propose the continental drift theory.
 the theory that _________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
THE MAIN EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE CONTINENTAL DRIFT
THEORY
Wegener based his conclusions on three main pieces of evidence:
1. THE _____________ ______________ _____

The continents looked as though they might fit together like
puzzle pieces.

________ _____________ eastern coastline
appears to match __________ western coastline.

Continental edges do not fit perfectly, better
alignments occurs between the ________________
_____________.
The original supercontinent was named _______ by Wegener.


pan means all and gaea means Earth
2. MATCHING _____________ ___________ AND ________

There were matching geologic features and rocks on
different __________________.

Close analysis of rocks around the world suggests that the
continents were all _________.

______________ ranges in South America that end
at the coastline and then continue in Africa.

There have been many similarities in rocks in
structures in areas separated by thousands of
kilometers of _________.
 Rocks of the same age and type in
Newfoundland, Sweden, Norway, and
Scotland.
3. ___________ _______________

Similar fossils have been found in many different locations
around the world.

There were matching fossils on different
_______________.

The only explanation is that continents must have
been __________ at one time.

Examples:
 ________________fossils, a small fresh
water reptile, are found only in southeastern
South America and southwestern Africa.
 Land dwelling ________________ and
_______________fossils have been found
on the different continents in the southern
hemisphere.
 _______________ fossils, a fern, are
found from South America and Africa to
Australia, India and Antarctica.
 Ferns do not grow in cold climates,
and no evidence that Antarctica was
milder 200 million years ago.
 So, Antarctica must have been
closer to the equator and had a
warmer climate.
CLIMATE EVIDENCE FOR CONTINENTAL DRIFT

Work by many scientists added support to the evidence for
continental drift that Wegener had collected.

Evidence of ___________ in parts of the world that
are now tropical, such as parts of India and Africa.

Paleoglaciation: ____________________
_________________________________

______ ___________, which form from the
decomposition of living things (usually tropical swamp
material), in Antarctica .
SUMMARY: