Question

Fossils of the same animals found along the east coast of South America are found on the west coast of Africa. These fossils are of land animals that cannot swim long distances.

Which of the following statements is true?
A) Divergent movement of plates has occurred.
B) Transformative movement of plates has occurred.
C) Convergent movement of plates has occurred.
D) None of these types of movement has occurred.

Answer 1

Similar fossils found on the coasts of South America and Africa support the theory of continental drift, indicating that these continents were once part of a supercontinent called Pangaea and have since separated due to divergent plate movement. The correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The presence of fossils of the same land animals on the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa indicates a past connection between these continents.

Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift and subsequent scientific advancement in plate tectonics explain these findings. According to this theory, the continents were once part of a supercontinent called Pangaea, which later split and drifted apart due to the movement of tectonic plates. The correct statement that explains the presence of similar fossils across these now-separated continents is A) Divergent movement of plates has occurred.

This means that these land masses were once joined and have since slowly moved away from each other over geological time.