The Impact of Continental Collisions on Earth's Biodiversity

The video explores the Great American Biotic Interchange, a significant event caused by the collision of North and South America due to plate tectonics. This collision formed a land bridge, allowing species migration and leading to ecological changes. It also split a large ocean into two, affecting marine life and climate patterns. The video highlights the long-term impacts of these changes on biodiversity and climate.

What was the force of nature that set North and South America on a collision course?

• Volcanic eruptions

• Meteor impact

• Gravity

• Plate tectonics

Which of the following was NOT a species found in South America before the land bridge formation?

• Glyptodonts

• Giant ground sloths

• Terror birds

• Saber-toothed cats

What geological feature was created by the shifting of the Farallon and Caribbean Plates?

• The Andes Mountains

• The Rocky Mountains

• The Amazon Basin

• The Central America Volcanic Arc

Which type of organisms migrated first across the newly formed land bridge?

• Freshwater fishes

• Plants

• Birds

• Mammals

Which South American predator went extinct 3 million years ago?

• Ground sloths

• Terror birds

• Marsupials

• Glyptodonts

Which of the following species migrated from North America to South America?

• Glyptodonts

• Horses

• Monkeys

• Bats

What was the impact of the land bridge on marine organisms?

• Increased biodiversity

• Extinction of all marine life

• Creation of new species

• Separation of populations

What is the thermohaline circulation?

• A tectonic plate movement

• A global water conveyor belt

• A type of volcanic activity

• A wind pattern

What was one of the major climatic effects of the thermohaline circulation?

• Formation of the Sahara Desert

• Drying of the Amazon Basin

• Warming of the East Coast of North America

• Cooling of the Pacific Ocean

What does the Great American Biotic Interchange illustrate about planetary transformations?

• They are always beneficial

• They have no lasting impact

• They are always explosive and sudden

• They can be slow and gradual