Question

The theory of continental drift was first presented in 1912. Scientists once thought that the continents had formed in their current locations. Which of the following factors most likely caused scientists to change their opinions?

Answer 1

Scientists initially changed their views on static continents due to Alfred Wegener's evidence for continental drift, but full acceptance came with the later development of plate tectonics theory.

Step-by-step explanation:

The theory of continental drift was first proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. Scientists changed their opinions about the static positioning of continents largely due to Wegener's presentation of compelling evidence. This included the jigsaw-like fit of continents, matching fossils on separate continents, matching mountain ranges, and evidence of past climates suggesting continents had moved from the poles to the equator. Despite the strong evidence, initial reaction from the scientific community was skeptical because Wegener lacked a mechanism to explain the drift. It wasn't until the 1960s, with the development of plate tectonics theory, that the scientific community widely accepted the idea of moving continents.

The theory of continental drift, first presented by Alfred Wegener in 1915, proposed that the continents were once connected in a supercontinent called Pangaea. Initially, many scientists were skeptical of this idea because Wegener did not have a well-developed hypothesis to explain the mechanism behind continental drift. It wasn't until the 1960s that the theory gained more acceptance when scientists like Harry Hess expanded upon Wegener's ideas and developed the concept of plate tectonics.