1. What is Continental Drift? The drifting of Pangaea.

2. Continental Drift is a hypothesis presented by Alfred Wegner. He thought the continents moved to their present position on earth.

3. Wegner believed all continents were once connected into one large land mass called Pangaea.

4. The continents took over 200 million years to move. • They moved ½ to 4 inches a year.

5. Fossil Clues • Meosaurus (in South America and Africa) • Glossopteris ( in Africa, Australia, India, South America, and Antarctica.)

6. Climate Clues • Glacial deposits and groove bedrock were found in South America, Africa, India, and Australia. • Fossils of warm weather plants were found on the island of Spitzbergen (in Arctic)

7. Rock Clues • Similar rock structures in the Appalachian Mountains, Greenland, Western Europe, South America, and Western Africa.

8. Wegner’s Hypothesis Rejected • Although Wegner had evidence, he couldn’t explain how, when, or why. • Years later (after Wegner’s death), his theory was accepted.

9. What did you learn? • What is Pangaea? • Why weren’t Wegner’s ideas supported? • How did Wegner use climate clues to support his hypothesis? • What would Wegner need to help prove his ideas were correct?

10. Works Cited 1. Public USGS http://pubs.usgs.gov Stages of Pangaea 2.http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/continents.htmlAnimal Fossils www.newton.mec.edu/.../image/ alfred_wegner.jpg http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/continents.html http://www.pangaeafossils.com/Images/plants/pu1.jpg http://www.pangaeafossils.com/Images/plants/pu1.jpg