Building Pangaea


In 1915, Alfred Wegener proposed that all of Earth's continents were once joined in an ancient supercontinent he called Pangaea. Wegener's idea of moving continents led to the modern theory of plate tectonics. Create your own version of Pangaea by fitting Earth's landmasses together like puzzle pieces. Use evidence from fossils, rocks, and glaciers to refine your map.

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Assessment Questions (5):

  1. Who came up with the idea that all the continents were once joined together?
  2. According to the theory of continental drift, why do the coastlines of Africa and South America appear to fit together so well?

    Africa and South America
  3. What evidence supports the idea that all the continents were once joined together?
  4. Lystrosaurus was a slow-moving, plant-eating reptile that lived over 250 million years ago. Fossils of Lystrosaurus have been found in the brown areas shown below. How is this explained by the existence of Pangaea?

    Lystrosaurus distribution
  5. The map shows white areas that used to be covered by glaciers. Arrows show directions that glaciers moved. Based on the arrows, which red point was probably closest to the South Pole at the time of Pangaea?

    Glacial scratches

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