Alfred Wegener’s Theory

Alfred Wegener was a geophysicist who proposed a theory known as Continental Drift. Wegener thought that the continents had been connected and joined together into one supercontinent known as Pangea,  and that the oceans formed one ocean called Panthalassa.

When did Pangea Exist?

Pangea formed about 270 million years ago, and began to break up 200 million years ago. This was during the Permian and Triassic time periods. Slowly, they drifted into the positions they are in today.

Proof of Pangea

Wegener hypothesized continental drift after observing a variety of things. He observed that all the continents could fit together like a puzzle. He also saw that some fossils were found on many different continents, meaning that there were some plants an animals on more than one continents. This could not have been possible unless the continents were joined. Like the plants and animals, some rock formations of South America were similar to those of Africa.

How Did People React to Wegener’s Theory?

At first no one believed his theory, because he could not figure out why the continents drifted apart into the positions they are in today. It was only after another scientists hypothesized the existence of plate tectonics that people started believing him. The movement of these plates provided a force that could have caused the continents to drift away.