Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 8-2:
South
America and
Africa connected.
Fossil matching
Another line of evidence supporting the continental drift hypothesis is the similarity of
fossils found on multiple continents. For example, fossil remains of a rare, freshwater
reptile, the
mesosaur,
are found in both South Africa and South America. Scientists have
also found remains of other reptiles, such as the
Lystrosaurus
and
Cynognathus,
on mul-
tiple continents. Because these animals lived on land, it seems unlikely that they swam
across the oceans that now separate South America, Africa, and Antarctica.
The strongest line of fossil evidence for a supercontinent is from the remains of many
different plant types that collectively are known as the
Glossopteris flora
(named for a
