1. PANGAEA YEAR 1 SCIENCE

2. EQ: WHAT EVIDENCE DID ALFRED WEGENER USE TO PROVE CONTINENTAL DRIFT?

3. PANGAEA NOTES

4. ALFRED WEGENER German Scientist Came up with the Theory of Continental Drift At one time, the continents were once connected to form a supercontinent The landmasses have drifted apart over the years The supercontinent = Pangaea

5. EVIDENCE #1 1) FOSSILS: fossils of the same plants and animals were found on separated continents

7. EVIDENCE #2 2) CLIMATE CHANGE: scratches on rocks found in South Africa were caused by glaciers; fossils of tropical plants have been found in the cold Arctic

9. EVIDENCE #3 3) LAND FEATURES: similar rocks found in multiple regions; mountain ranges on various continents line up with each other

10. PROOF? No one believed Alfred because he couldn’t provide WHY the continents were moving, so his hypothesis was rejected. It wasn’t until Alfred’s death that a man by the name of Harry Hess came up with the theory of sea- floor spreading, which proved Alfred’s theory to be correct.

11. ALFRED WEGENER Wegener's Theory of Continental Drift