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Continental Drift

Total questions: 39

Worksheet time: 20mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which two (2) present-day continents did Wegener first notice seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces?

a)

North America & Eurasia

b)

South America & Antarctica

c)

Africa & South America

d)

North America & South America

e)

Eurasia & Africa

2.

What is the name of this scientist?

a)

Albert Einstein

b)

Alfred Wegener

c)

Charles Darwin

d)

Isaac Newton

e)

Nikola Tesla

3.

Alfred Wegener's idea that the continents had moved around on Earth's surface was called _____.

a)

Plate Tectonics

b)

Continental Drift

c)

Continental Glide

d)

Wandering Continents

4.

The huge land masses that are created when most (at least 75%) of the continents "drift" together are called _____.

a)

Continents

b)

Supercontinents

c)

Islands

d)

Landforms

5.

It takes _____ of years for supercontinents to drift together (and then apart again).

a)

Tens

b)

Hundreds

c)

Thousands

d)

Millions

6.

The continents position on Earth's surface and the shapes of the continents themselves are _____.

a)

temporary

b)

permanent

7.

The last supercontinent that existed on Earth was called _____.

a)

Rodinia

b)

Pangaea

c)

Pangaea Ultima

d)

Columbia

8.

As evidence for his continental drift idea, Wegener studied the remains of prehistoric living things preserved in rock called _____.

a)

Geodes

b)

Fossils

c)

Petrifications

d)

Bones

9.

This now-extinct small, crocodile-like, freshwater reptile was a good swimmer, but could also walk on land is called _____.

a)

Glossopteris

b)

Lystrosaurus

c)

Mesosaurus

d)

Cynognathus

10.

This now-extinct, plant-eating, pig-sized reptile mostly stayed on land and was called _____.

a)

Glossopteris

b)

Mesosaurus

c)

Lystrosaurus

d)

Cynognathus

11.

This now-extinct, meat-eating, dog-like reptile mostly stayed on land and is called _____.

a)

Glossopteris

b)

Mesosaurus

c)

Lystrosaurus

d)

Cynognathus

12.

This now-extinct, fern-like plant grew to be tree-sized and is called _____.

a)

Glossopteris

b)

Mesosaurus

c)

Lystrosaurus

d)

Cynognathus

13.

The discovery of the fossils of cold-blooded reptiles and tropical plants in present-day _____ was an important clue.

a)

Africa

b)

South America

c)

India

d)

Antarctica

e)

Australia

14.

In the 1920's, most scientists readily believed Wegener's idea that the continents were drifting.

a)

True

b)

False

15.

Now, scientists use _____ to track the movement of the continents.

a)

Radar

b)

Sonar

c)

GPS

d)

Naval Ships

16.

The continents "drift" a few _____ each year.

a)

Inches

b)

Feet

c)

Yards

d)

Miles

17.

As continents have drifted around Earth's surface, they have sometimes moved closer to (and sometimes further from) Earth's equator which causes long-term changes in _____.

a)

Weather

b)

Climate

18.

As the continents drifted to new locations, changing temperatures and climates caused many types of plants and animals to die off and become _____.

a)

Extinct

b)

Instinct

c)

Eggs Stink

19.

(Choose all correct answers!) According to the fossil map, on which ancient landmasses were Glossopteris fossils found?

a)

South America

b)

India

c)

Africa

d)

Antarctica

e)

Australia

20.

(Choose all correct answers!) According to the fossil map, on which ancient landmasses were fossils of Cynognathus found?

a)

South America

b)

Africa

c)

India

d)

Antarctica

e)

Australia

21.

(Choose all correct answers!) According to the fossil map, on which ancient landmasses were the fossils of Mesosaurus found?

a)

South America

b)

Africa

c)

India

d)

Antarctica

e)

Australia

22.

(Choose all correct answers!) According to the fossil map, on which ancient landmasses were the fossils of Lystrosaurus found?

a)

South America

b)

Africa

c)

India

d)

Antarctica

e)

Australia

23.

Name the present-day ocean labeled #2 on the map.

a)

Pacific Ocean

b)

Atlantic Ocean

c)

Arctic Ocean

d)

Southern Ocean

e)

Indian Ocean

24.

Name the present-day ocean labeled #3 on the map.

a)

Pacific Ocean

b)

Atlantic Ocean

c)

Southern Ocean

d)

Arctic Ocean

e)

Indian Ocean

25.

Name the present-day continent labeled #7 on the map.

a)

South America

b)

North America

c)

Africa

d)

Europe

e)

Asia

26.

Name the present-day continent labeled #10 on the map.

a)

North America

b)

South America

c)

Africa

d)

Asia

e)

Antarctica

27.

Name the present-day continent labeled #6 on the map.

a)

North America

b)

South America

c)

Africa

d)

Europe & Asia (Eurasia)

e)

Australia

28.

Name the present-day continent labeled #9 on the map.

a)

North America

b)

South America

c)

Europe

d)

Asia

e)

Australia

29.

Name the present-day continent labeled #11 on the map.

a)

Antarctica

b)

Australia

c)

Africa

d)

Europe

e)

South America

30.

Name the present-day continent labeled #12 on the map.

a)

South America

b)

Africa

c)

Australia

d)

Antarctica

e)

Asia

31.

Which of the ancient landmasses shown on the map is no longer a continent, but it part of another present-day continent.

a)

South America

b)

Africa

c)

Australia

d)

Antarctica

e)

India

32.

Scientists predict that, millions of years from now, a new supercontinent is likely to come together.

a)

True

b)

False

33.

The proposed name for Earth's next supercontinent is Pangaea Ultima or Pangaea _____.

a)

Proxima

b)

Futurama

c)

Sequel

d)

Prospectus

e)

Duece

34.

Which present-day continent shows signs that it is breaking apart?

a)

North America

b)

South America

c)

Africa

d)

Antarctica

e)

Europe & Asia (Eurasia)

35.

The movie "Ice Age: Continental Drift" is a good source of scientific information about Pangaea and supercontinents.

a)

True

b)

False

36.

The minute-by-minute changing conditions in place (includes temperature, wind, & precipitation_ is called _____.

a)

Climate

b)

Weather

c)

Elevation

d)

Latitude

37.

The "usual" or average weather for a place over a long period of time is its _____.

a)

Climate

b)

Weather

c)

Elevation

d)

Latitude

38.

(Choose all correct answers!) Each of the continents is really just part of _____.

a)

A tectonic plate

b)

the lithosphere

c)

the asthenosphere

d)

the mesosphere

39.

At the time of Pangaea, Antarctica was much closer to Earth's _____, which would have caused it to be much warmer.

a)

core

b)

equator

c)

Sun

d)

poles