Unit 5 Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

Choose which student has the best answer for the following question. What evidence did Alfred Wegener use to support his theory?

• Lisa wrote: “Wegener used the fossil record to support his theory.”

• Samuel wrote: “Wegener used fossil evidence matching from one continent to another, climate having changed on continents, puzzle piece shapes of continents, rock similarities across continents, and glacier grooves to support his theory.”

• Reese wrote: “Wegener used fossils to prove the continents were linked like the ones we saw when we did the Pangaea puzzle activity.”

• Jac wrote: “He used the sea floor to spread, make new rock, and push old rock away. Wegener would not have been laughed at if he had lived long enough to explain how the continents move.”

What could Alfred Wegener not prove?

• Mountain ranges, valleys, and glacial evidence match on different continents.

• That common fossils existed on different continents

• The appearance that the shapes of many continents seem to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle

• How the continents move through solid ocean floors

During a research excavation in Colorado, scientists found fossils of brachiopods. Brachiopods are invertebrate animals with shells that live on the ocean floor. Which of these best explains why fossils of brachiopods were found in Colorado?

• A. They lived in the ocean that once covered Colorado.

• B. They traveled to Colorado through rivers.

• C. Animals carried them from the ocean and left the remains.

• D. Glaciers carried them and left them behind when they melted.

Scientists investigate the fossils of a mammal in a location whose climate is too warm for that mammal to survive. The scientists date the fossil to be approximately 50,000 years old. Which hypothesis would best fit this investigation?

• The climate was cooler when the mammal was alive.

• The climate was warmer when the mammal was alive.

• Geological processes have carried the fossil to a cooler location.

• Geological processes have carried the fossil to a warmer location.

Look at the map of the world today. Which two continents look like that have an almost perfect fit, if they were placed next to each other?

• North America and South America

• Africa and Asia

• Australia and South America

• Africa and South America

Which statement is most likely the reason the fossils were found in two different locations?

• A. The dinosaurs lived in two distinct populations near the equator.

• B. The dinosaurs lived in two distinct populations near the South Pole.

• C. Australia was once located closer to Antarctica but has moved farther away over time.

• D. Australia was once located farther away from Antarctica but has moved closer over time.

A scientist examined fossils of an extinct reptile that lived on land between 200 and 245 million years ago. The scientist recorded data about known fossils of the reptile in the table. Based on information in this table, which of these can the scientist best conclude about the reptile?

• The reptile swam from South America to Africa about 200 million years ago.

• The reptile had more predators in South America than Africa about 200 million years ago.

• About 200 million years ago, the continents of South America and Africa were a single land mass.

• About 200 million years ago, the continents of South America and Africa were farther apart than they are today.

The origins of the theory of plate tectonics began when German scientist Alfred Wegener proposed the idea of

• Superposition

• Continental drift

• Natural selection

• Paleomagnetic reversals

The movement of tectonic plates is caused by:

• Convection currents in Earth's mantle

• The gravity of the iron-nickel core

• The rotation of the earth

• The Moho discontinuity

Which of these choices is NOT evidence supporting the theory of plate tectonics?

• The same fossil species found on different continents

• Ancient cave drawing found in France

• The jigsaw puzzle-like fit of the continents

• Traces of glaciation found in Africa and South America