Fossil symbols and mountain belts were crucial in understanding and reconstructing the positions of continents in Earth's past. Similar fossils and corresponding mountain ranges found on widely separated continents provided strong evidence that these landmasses were once connected, supporting the theory of continental drift.
Fossil Evidence
- Identical fossils of plants and animals, such as the seed fern Glossopteris, have been discovered on continents now separated by oceans, like South America, Africa, India, and Australia.
- These fossils indicated that the continents must have been joined, allowing the same species to exist across them before drifting apart.
- Fossil symbols on maps helped scientists match which continents previously formed supercontinents like Pangaea by tracing where similar fossilized species occurred.
Mountain Belt Evidence
- Mountain belts that align across continents, like the Appalachian Mountains in North America and the Caledonian Mountains in Europe, provided geological clues that landmasses were formerly connected.
- The matching structure, rock types, and ages of these belts showed that they formed as a single system before continental separation.
- Deciphering these alignments helped scientists determine how continents fit together and move them accurately in continental reconstruction exercises.
In summary, the distribution patterns of fossil symbols and the continuity of mountain belts across present ocean basins allowed geologists to piece together Earth's ancient geography and understand past continental movements.
