Final answer:
Continental drift has affected organisms by altering their geographic distribution due to the isolation after the breakup of supercontinents, leading to unique regional ecosystems and necessitating evolutionary adaptations to changing environments.
Step-by-step explanation:
One way that continental drift has affected organisms is through the process of biogeography, which is the geographic distribution of species on the planet. The movement of tectonic plates over geological time has led to the formation and fragmentation of supercontinents. When a supercontinent like Pangaea formed about 200 million years ago, species were able to spread across the vast landmass. However, as the continents began to drift apart, these species became isolated in different parts of the world, leading to divergent evolutionary paths.
For instance, the continental drift and the subsequent isolation caused different regional ecosystems to develop unique flora and fauna, as seen in the distinct characteristics of life on the northern continents that were formerly part of Laurasia and the southern continents that were part of Gondwana. The presence of the plant family Proteaceae in Australia, southern Africa, and South America can be explained by their common origin on Gondwana before it broke up, showing how continental drift has shaped the distribution of species.
Additionally, the changes in climate and habitats resulting from continental drift forced various organismic adaptations and the evolution of species that were able to survive under the new conditions. This phenomenon is reflected in the worldwide diversity of species we observe today.