Final answer:
South America and Africa were once connected, allowing plants and animals to be shared between the continents before they drifted apart due to tectonic plate movements.
Step-by-step explanation:
They are now separated by a geographical barrier that they could not have crossed. Their locations could be explained if South America and Africa were connected at the time plants and animals lived.
The concept being discussed is related to biogeography and the movement of tectonic plates over geological time. A notable event in geological history is the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, which led to the distribution of species.
After the separation, the continents of South America and Africa began to drift apart which is why certain plants and animals are distributed differently on these continents today. This also relates to the evolution of species in different regions due to geographical isolation.