Alfred Wegener
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Alfred Wegener, Nov. 1880-Nov. 1930, was a German traveling scientist. Wegener is known for coming up with the original idea that the continents fit together like pieces of a puzzle. While traveling and researching Wegener discovered that some fossils and rocks from one climate did not necessarily match that particular climate, but seems to have traveled from another climate. During his research he noticed that the outlines of the continents seem to match together like puzzle pieces. This all led to his further research to prove his idea of Plate Tectonics. (Southwestern Advantage, 2011) This idea was not originally accepted. It was originally believed that perhaps a bridge was once what connected destinations and later sank.
According to Wegener around 20 million years later this super continent began to break apart and formed three continents. The northern continent was known as Laurasia, the next two chunks were labeled Gondwanaland. Laurasia today are known as Europe, Asia, North America, and Greenland. Gondwanaland is broken into two sections the northern are South America and Africa, and the southern portion are Antarctica, Australia and New Zealand. (Southwestern Advantage, 2011) He noted that there were deposits of rocks that were found in areas such as India, Africa, and South America that had come from previously cold climates, most likely near the South Pole region. He also noted that there was evidence of erosion, flooding, and coal formation that appeared to connect South America, and Africa. Finally, Wegener observed that there were fossils of tree fern that seemed to indicate that North America was once located at the equator. Wegener called his idea Continental Drift. http://www.livescience.com/37529-continental-drift.html He concluded that there was once a "supercontinent" named Pangea, that over time begin to break apart and form individual continents.
According to Wegener around 20 million years later this super continent began to break apart and formed three continents. The northern continent was known as Laurasia, the next two chunks were labeled Gondwanaland. Laurasia today are known as Europe, Asia, North America, and Greenland. Gondwanaland is broken into two sections the northern are South America and Africa, and the southern portion are Antarctica, Australia and New Zealand. (Southwestern Advantage, 2011) He noted that there were deposits of rocks that were found in areas such as India, Africa, and South America that had come from previously cold climates, most likely near the South Pole region. He also noted that there was evidence of erosion, flooding, and coal formation that appeared to connect South America, and Africa. Finally, Wegener observed that there were fossils of tree fern that seemed to indicate that North America was once located at the equator. Wegener called his idea Continental Drift. http://www.livescience.com/37529-continental-drift.html He concluded that there was once a "supercontinent" named Pangea, that over time begin to break apart and form individual continents.