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How did Alfred Wegener use fossils and rock similarities to support continental drift?
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geology
A rock formation called “faux amphibolite,” from the Nuvvuagittuq greenstone belt in northern Quebec, dated to 4.28 billion years ago.
Alfred Wegener formulated his continental drift hypothesis by identifying compelling geological and paleontological correlations across widely separated landmasses, suggesting they were once joined as a single supercontinent called Pangaea.12
Wegener used these specific lines of evidence to support his theory:
- Fossil Evidence: He noted that identical fossil organisms were found on continents now separated by vast oceans. A key example is the Mesosaurus, an aquatic reptile from the Permian Period found in both South America and South Africa. Because this creature was unlikely to have crossed broad, saline oceans, its distribution provided strong evidence that these landmasses were once connected.13
- Rock Similarities: Wegener observed that similar rock strata and geological structures existed on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. For instance, he pointed to belts of ancient rocks along the Brazilian coast that matched those in West Africa. These correspondences indicated that the continents were once part of a single, continuous geological assemblage before the fragmentation of Pangea.241