Final answer:
The lack of a mechanism to explain continental drift initially prevented widespread acceptance of Wegener's hypothesis. The development of the plate tectonics theory eventually provided the explanation needed for his hypothesis to be accepted.
Step-by-step explanation:
The initial hindrance to the widespread acceptance of Wegener's continental drift hypothesis was the lack of a mechanism to explain how solid continents could drift over thousands of miles. Although Wegener presented a compelling list of arguments for his hypothesis, scientists were skeptical without a clear explanation of the process. It wasn't until the development of the plate tectonics theory, which took several decades of progress in geology, oceanography, and geophysics, that Wegener's hypothesis gained acceptance.