Continental Drift - Fossils
Fossils of the same species were found on several different
continents. Wegener proposed that the species dispersed when the
continents were connected and later carried to their present positions as
the continents drifted. For example, Glossopteris, a fern, was found on
the continents of South America, Africa, India, and Australia. If the
continents are reassembled into Pangaea, the distribution of Glossopteris
can be accounted for over a much smaller contiguous geographic area. The
distribution of other species can also be accounted for by initially
spreading across Pangaea, followed by the breakup of the supercontinent,
and movement of the continents to their present positions.
