Final answer:
Fossil evidence supports the theory of continental drift and plate tectonics by showing that identical fossils are found on continents that are currently separated, indicating they were once joined. The technique of biostratigraphic correlation is used to connect rock layers by age through fossils.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fossils have been integral in supporting the theory of continental drift and plate tectonics. Alfred Wegener, the scientist who proposed the theory of continental drift, turned to fossil evidence as one of the key arguments for his hypothesis. He noted that fossils of the same species were found on continents that are now separated by vast oceans.
For instance, the presence of Mesosaurus fossils in both South America and Africa suggested these continents were once joined together, forming part of the supercontinent called Pangaea.
Furthermore, fossils play a crucial role in the field of biostratigraphic correlation. This technique correlates rock layers from different locations based on the assumption that fossils within the same layer are of similar age, providing evidence that the rock layers were formed at the same time.
Thus, if two continents separated by an ocean have rock layers containing identical fossils, it can indicate that these land masses were once connected.
Additionally, paleontologists use relative dating to place geological ages on fossils, which can, in turn, help to track the movements of continents over time through the rate of speciation observed in the fossil record. This accumulation of data from fossil records supports the ongoing drift of continents as outlined by plate tectonics theory.