Download Continental Drift Theory Essay Final

Ossian Perret
Humanities Grade 8b
Ms. Nickell
24/9/09
The Continental Drift Theory Essay Final
Alfred believed that over a hundreds of millions years ago the continents formed a
super continent called Pangea, meaning all earth. Even though Alfred Wegener's 1915
drawing was not believed until around 1940, it has changed our outlook on life for many
people and the world. About 200 million years ago, the supercontinent Pangea started
splitting up. The plates slowly drifted apart and formed two new continents, one continent
in the North called Laurasia and a continent in the South called Gondwanaland. These two
new continents were surrounded by one large and single ocean called Panthalassa. Scientists
started believing Alfred Wegener due to the fact that fossils and land substances were found
in different regions on different continents. The substances also consisted of the same age
which proved that the super continent "Pangea" did exist. Alfred decided that the coastlines
fit perfectly together similarly to a puzzle.
Initially, proof that Pangea really did exist is the fact that the continents fit together
like puzzle pieces. Alfred Wegener designed and drew a drawing of what he thought the
earth looked like millions of years ago. His theory was untrusted until the 1940's when finally
scientists started accepting his theory. Alfred carefully studied the map of the world and
considered possible connections between the continents. Bit by bit he connected them and
this is what his theory was.
Secondly, fossils of the same age and same species were found on many completely
different continents. Nowadays, fossils of the same species can be found in completely
remote and different places on the planet. This relates to Alfred’s theory of the coastlines
once fitting together. This may have had something to do with Pangea. Fossils of the same
species and age were found in countries like: the Southern tip of India near Madurai, Prince
Herald coast, Antarctica, Southern tip of Madagascar, Oates coast, Antarctica and Southeastern Australia (near Melbourne). The fossil that was found here was actually originally a
fern, more commonly known as Glossopteris. Also in South-eastern Argentina (near Bahia
Blanca) and South-eastern South America (near Cape Town), the fossil of a land reptile was
found called Cynognathus. In Wilhelm II Coast, Antarctica, Madagascar, North of
Antananarivo, Central India and Eastern Tanzania another fossil belonging to a land reptile
was found called Lystrosaurus. Finally in Eastern Brazil (near Salvador) and Cameroon in
West Africa a fresh water reptile was found called the Mesosaurus.
In addition to that, rocks of the same age were also found on different continents.
This also has something to do with the rocks and temperatures, but most definitely the ages
of the rocks. If the rocks of the same type and age were found in the places that on
Wegener’s map showed a connection. Then this would prove his theory unstoppable.
Thanks to Alfred Wegener's rock solid theories and facts, we now know a lot more
about the place we call earth or more so (home).