Continental Drift © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4682Visit www.newpathlearning.com for Online Learning Resources.ASIAINDIAANTARCTICAAUSTRALIAAFRICANORTHAMERICASOUTHAMERICALAURASIAGONDWANAASIAINDIAANTARCTICAAUSTRALIAAFRICANORTHAMERICASOUTHAMERICAWhat is Continental Drift Theory?245 million years ago180 million years ago65 million years agoPangaeaAccording to the Continental Drift theory, all of the continents once formed a large, single landmass called Pangaea. We now know that Pangaea existed 245 million years ago, when dinosaurs were roaming the Earth.The Continental Drift theory was an accepted part of geology for about 50 years until it was replaced by the more complete theory of plate tectonics. PANGAEALaurasia and GondwanaAbout 180 million years ago, Pangaea began to split into two smaller continents called Laurasia and Gondwana. Modern ContinentsApproximately 65 million years ago, these two landmasses had broken apart to form the modern continents.In the early 1900s a scientist named Alfred Wegener proposed the Continental Drift theory, which suggests that the continents were once together as a single landmass that broke up and drifted apart over millions of years. Wegener based his theory on the observation that the boundaries of the continents appear to look like pieces of a large puzzle. Studies of fossils and glacial striations in rocks on different continents also supported continental drift.ASASAAAASAASAAASAAASAA IAININNNNNNNNNNNNND ANNNNDIDIDIDDIDIIIIIDIDIDD AAAAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD ARCTICACACACACACAACACCAACACACACAAANANTARCANANANTARCTLIATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTRARARARARRARARARRARARAARAAAARRR LILLLL ALIASTRAAAAAAAAAAUAUUAUUUAUUAUUUUUUUUUUUUUSUUUUUUUUUAAUAAAAAAAAAUUSTTTSTSSSTSSTTTUAAUAAAAAAAAUSTTTTTTTRRRRRAFAAAAAAFRICANORTHNNONNOCACAMERICACASOOOOOOOUTUUUTUTTUTUTUUUTTUUU HHHHHHHHHHOOOOEERRRRRREERRRRREREREECIICICCCCCICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAAMMMAMAAAAAAAAMMAMAMMMMAMMMAMAMAMMAMAMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEAMAMMAMAMAAMMAMAAMMEEEEEEEEASASASAASAAAAAAAASSIAAAAAAAAAASSINIININININNININNNNININNDIAANTARCTIIITTIICACACACACAAACACACAACACACACACCNTARCAAUSTRALIAAUSTRALIARAAFRICACAAAAAAAAAAAAAFRICAAAAANNONONONONONONNONOONOONORRRTRRTRRRTTRTTTHNNN TTTTTHAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAAMMAAAMMERERERERERERERERERERERERRERE ICICICCICCICICICCICICAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRERERRRERESOUTHHHHSAAMERICAAM245 million yearsssssss aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggggooooooooooooooo11111111111188888888888000000000000000000 mmmmmmmmmmmmilliiooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeearrrrrrrrrrrrsssssssssssssss aaaaaaaaaggo65 milllllllllllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnn yyyyyyears agoAccordddddddddddddinggggggggggggg ttttttttttttttoooooooo ttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeee CCCCCCCCCContinental Drift theory, all of the continnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnntttttttttttsssssssss oooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnccccccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeee formed a large, singlelllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaandmaassssssssssssssssssssssss cccccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaaaallllledd PPPPPPPPPPPPaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggaea. We now know that PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPaaaaaaaaaaaangggggaaaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa eeeeeeeeeeeeexxxxxxxxxxxxxxiiiiiiiiisstttttted 24444444444455 million years ago, when dinooooooooooooooossssssssssssssaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuursssssssssssss wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeee rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooaming the Earth.TTTTTTThhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeee CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCoooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnental Drift theory was an acceeeeeeepppppppppppppppppttttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeddddddddddd pppppppppppppppppaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttt of geology for about 50 years until it wwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssss rrrrrrrrreplaced by the more complete tttthhhhhhheeeeeeeoooorrrrryyyyyy ooooooffffffff ppplate tectonics. About 180 million years ago, Pangaea began to split into two smaller continents called Laurasia and Gondwana. Approximately 65 million years ago, these two landmasses had broken apart to form the modern continents.In the early 1900s a scientist named Alfred Wegenerproposed the Continental Drift theory, which suggests that the continents were once together as a single landmass that broke up and drifted apart over millions of years. Wegener based his theory on the observation that the boundaries of the continents appear to look like pieces of a large puzzle. Studies of fossils and glacial striations in rocks on different continents alsosupported continental drift.
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