Continental Drift Reading

1. 1Scientists hypothesize that Earth's [blank_start]seven[blank_end] continents were once connected as a single landmass, called a [blank_start]supercontinent[blank_end]. This landmass ,called [blank_start]Pangaea[blank_end], which means "all land", began slowly shifting apart about [blank_start]200[blank_end] million years ago.
   
   The main proponent of this theory was [blank_start]Alfred Wegener[blank_end]. Wegener hypothesized about the existence of Pangaea because of geologic evidence and the way some continental coastlines fit together like [blank_start]jigsaw[blank_end] pieces.
   
   Wegener used evidence from two fossils. [blank_start]Mesosaurus[blank_end] and [blank_start]Glossopteris[blank_end]. Mesosaurus was a reptile found in South America AND [blank_start]Africa[blank_end]. Mesosaurus lived in [blank_start]freshwater[blank_end] and on land and could not have swam between the [blank_start]continents[blank_end]. Glossopteris is a fossil [blank_start]fern[blank_end] that once flourished in warm tropical climates. It has been found in [blank_start]Africa[blank_end], Australia, India, [blank_start]South America[blank_end], and Antarctica. Both of these fossils suggest that Africa and South America were once [blank_start]joined[blank_end], as were the other continents.
   
   Rock Structures also support the idea of Pangaea. Parts of the [blank_start]Appalachian[blank_end] Mountains of eastern [blank_start]United States[blank_end] are similar to the mountains found in Greenland and [blank_start]Western Europe[blank_end]. Furthermore similar [blank_start]folded[blank_end] rock belt are found where [blank_start]Africa[blank_end] and South America were once joined.
   
   Glacial deposits and grooved [blank_start]bedrock[blank_end] in southern parts of South America, Africa, India, and Australia suggest that these areas were connected and covered by the [blank_start]glaciers[blank_end].
   
   Finally, radiometric dating has shown that rocks of [blank_start]similar[blank_end] age and type can be found where South America and Africa were once [blank_start]joined[blank_end].
   
   
   
   
   
   

   1. Aseven
   2. Bsupercontinent
   3. CPangaea
   4. D200
   5. EAlfred Wegener
   6. Fjigsaw
   7. GMesosaurus
   8. HGlossopteris
   9. IAfrica
   10. Jfreshwater
   11. Kcontinents
   12. Lfern
   13. MAfrica
   14. NSouth America
   15. Ojoined
   16. PAppalachian
   17. QUnited States
   18. RWestern Europe
   19. Sfolded
   20. TAfrica
   21. Ubedrock
   22. Vglaciers
   23. Wsimilar
   24. Xjoined

Description

Quiz on Continental Drift Reading, created by Wallace Mason on 17/11/2018.

Author

Wallace Mason

Language

English

Views

1,761

Tags

9th grade

Rating

No ratings yet

Rate this quiz

Rate this quiz

More on Continental Drift and Seafloor Spreading