Question

Continental landmasses on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean

1. appear as if they could fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle
2. contain some similar rock formations that look as if they could once have been connected
3. contain fossils of some identical land animals and plants that could not easily have arisen independently on opposite sides of the ocean
4. all of the above
5. none of the above

Answer 1

The direct answer is 4. all of the above, supporting the theory that continents on opposite sides of the Atlantic were once joined as part of Pangaea. Geological and fossil evidence backs this concept, which is fundamental to plate tectonics.

Step-by-step explanation:

4. all of the above. Each statement 1. continents appearing to fit together like jigsaw puzzle pieces, 2. similar rock formations, and 3. identical fossil records on separate landmasses support the theory of continental drift and the former existence of the supercontinent Pangaea. This theory, originally proposed by Alfred Wegener, uses geological and fossil evidence to suggest that continents that are currently separated by the Atlantic Ocean were once conjoined.

When examining the continuity between continental shapes, the corresponding geological formations, and the distribution of fossils, we can infer that such congruencies are unlikely to be coincidental. Instead, they point towards a connected past where landmasses were part of Pangaea and later separated due to the movement of tectonic plates. This concept laid the groundwork for the modern understanding of plate tectonics. Despite initial skepticism, the evidence backing Wegener's theory of continental drift has become integral to our understanding of Earth's geologic history.