Which two pieces of fossil evidence support the idea of continental drift?

• A. Presence of dinosaur fossils in North America and Europe only
• B. Fossilized remains of Glossopteris plants discovered on multiple southern continents
• C. Similar fossils of Mesosaurus found in both South America and Africa
• D. Discovery of marine fossils at the top of Mount Everest

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of continental drift: Continental drift is the hypothesis that Earth's continents have moved over geological time relative to each other, appearing to drift across the ocean bed. Fossil evidence is one of the key pieces of evidence supporting this theory.
2. Identify the significance of Glossopteris fossils: Glossopteris was a plant that lived during the Permian period. Its fossilized remains have been found on multiple southern continents, including South America, Africa, Antarctica, and Australia. This distribution suggests these continents were once connected in a supercontinent called Gondwana.
3. Examine the importance of Mesosaurus fossils: Mesosaurus was a freshwater reptile whose fossils have been discovered in both South America and Africa. Since this reptile could not have crossed the ocean, its presence on these continents supports the idea that they were once joined.
4. Exclude irrelevant fossil evidence: The presence of dinosaur fossils in North America and Europe does not support continental drift because these continents are not part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana. Similarly, marine fossils at the top of Mount Everest are evidence of tectonic activity but not directly related to continental drift.
5. Conclude that the fossilized remains of Glossopteris plants and similar fossils of Mesosaurus found in South America and Africa are the two key pieces of fossil evidence supporting the idea of continental drift.