Continental Drift Theory and its evidence

Wegener assumed that all continents were once joined as Pangaea. Exam tip: connect present distribution with old connection.

The northern part of Pangaea was called Laurasia and the southern part Gondwanaland. Exam tip: remember them by direction.

The Tethys Sea was considered between the two large landmasses. Exam tip: remember it as the sea explaining the division.

Panthalassa was the huge ocean around Pangaea. Exam tip: remember Pangaea for land and Panthalassa for water.

The shape of both coasts gives a visual clue of old connection. Exam tip: call it coastline matching evidence.

Coastlines can change over time so other evidence is also needed. Exam tip: do not treat coastline fit as the only final proof.

Rocks of similar age and type indicate an old connected landmass. Exam tip: write it as geological evidence.

Continuity of mountain ranges is linked with similarity of rocks and structure. Exam tip: choose geological evidence when mountains and rocks appear.

Fossils like Mesosaurus on separate continents indicate old land connection. Exam tip: link it with fossil evidence.

Glossopteris fossils indicate old connection of southern continents. Exam tip: treat it as plant fossil evidence.

Tillite is linked with old glacial deposits and shows old land relation. Exam tip: call tillite glacial evidence.

The direction of glacial striations helps explain old glacier movement. Exam tip: connect directional clues with climatic evidence.

Coal shows the possibility of old vegetation and different climatic condition. Exam tip: understand it as a clue of old climate.

Placer deposits can indicate similar mineral sources in separate landmasses. Exam tip: place them under mineral evidence.

Wegener could not explain a satisfactory mechanism of continental movement. Exam tip: write lack of driving force as criticism.

Wegener proposed pole fleeing and tidal forces. Exam tip: remember that these forces were considered insufficient.

Wegener linked the attraction of the Sun and Moon with tidal force. Exam tip: consider it a proposed but weak force.

Plate tectonics explained the cause of continental movement more clearly. Exam tip: treat it as the modern basis of Wegener's idea.

Despite evidence the mechanism moving continents was unclear. Exam tip: write this as the reason for initial rejection.

India is considered part of ancient Gondwanaland. Exam tip: connect India with the southern supercontinent.