Student Essay on Theory of Continental Drift

Theory of Continental Drift

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Essay

Continental Drift

Long ago there was a super continent called Pangaea. Pangaea is North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and India put together. Alfred Wagener discovered this theory. He believed all continents were once connected. His evidence was true. Of course it split and his evidence on how it split was not true, but he was on the right track. This is what happened. Around 250 million years ago, Pangaea began to split apart forming two smaller continents, Laurasia and Gondwanaland. Laurasia was the Northern Hemisphere and Gonwanaland was the Southern Hemisphere. Around 130 million years ago, Gonwanaland and Laurasia began to split into more continents and they still continue separating even today.

There are many things that support Continental Drift. They are fossils that are from Mesosaurus and Lystrosaurus. The same dinosaur fossil, Mesosaurus, on Brazil was also found in Africa. Those animals couldn't swim far distances so they could not go from continent to continent. Therefore they were once connected. There is also climate that supports continental drift. Climate of the island Spitsbergen, which lies on the Artic Ocean North of Norway, is covered with ice, but fossils of tropical plants were found there. Landforms also help support this theory because if you look at the shape of the world you can see it kind of fits together as a puzzle.

Back than people didn't believe in his theory for different reasons. One reason was because he didn't have a satisfactory explanation for the reason that pulls and pushes the continents. Since he couldn't provide this evidence most scientist rejected his idea. For them to except the theory he would need stronger evidence.

I truly believe in this because of many reasons. One reason is because if you try to put it together it fits like a puzzle. Another reason is the dinosaur fossils prove a lot that the continents were once connected. From all the research I have done and all the books I have read I have learned that Pangaea has more things that support it then things that don't. That is why I believe in it.