ANATOMY

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GENERAL ANATOMY

EMBRYOLOGY

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Before the present theory of plate tectonics, scientists used the hypothesis of continental drift to propose that Earth’s continents are in motion. Which of the following were initially used to support the hypothesis of continental drift?I. the matching shapes of continents edgesII. similar fossils on different continentsIII. matching rock types on different continentsIV. evidence in the rock record for climate change
A
II and III only
B
I, II, III, and IV
C
I and IV only
D
II, III, and IV only
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought continents moved over time. Today, the theory of continental drift has been replaced by the science of plate tectonics.

Detailed explanation-2: -However, in the 1950s, evidence began to trickle in, making continental drift more viable. By the 1960s, there was enough evidence supporting Wegener’s missing mechanism, seafloor spreading, allowing continental drift’s hypothesis to develop into the Theory of Plate Tectonics.

Detailed explanation-3: -How did Wegener use climate clues to support his hypothesis of continental drift? Wegener used continental drift to explain evidence of changing climates. For example, fossils of warm-weather plants were found in the Arctic Ocean, and glaciers were found in warm areas, such as Africa.

Detailed explanation-4: -Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents were once united into a single supercontinent named Pangaea, meaning all earth in ancient Greek. He suggested that Pangaea broke up long ago and that the continents then moved to their current positions. He called his hypothesis continental drift.

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