An animation showing continental drift.
Notice the formation of the underwater Mid-Atlantic Ridge as The Americas pull away from Africa.
Only an old Earth could explain such a phenomenon.
The distribution of fossils across different continents provides compelling evidence for evolution and supports the theory of continental drift. Fossils of related species found on separate landmasses suggest these continents were once connected, allowing species to evolve in isolation after the continents separated.
| Species/Group | Fossil Locations | Age | Evolutionary Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lystrosaurus | South Africa, Antarctica, India, China | Early Triassic (~250 million years ago) | Indicates connection between these landmasses in Pangaea |
| Glossopteris (seed fern) | South America, Africa, India, Australia, Antarctica | Permian (~300-250 million years ago) | Supports existence of southern supercontinent Gondwana |
| Mesosaurus | South America (Brazil), Africa (South Africa) | Early Permian (~280 million years ago) | Freshwater reptile, strong evidence for South America-Africa connection |
| Cynognathus | South America, Africa, Antarctica | Middle Triassic (~245-230 million years ago) | Terrestrial reptile, supports Gondwana configuration |
| Plesiosaurs | North America, Europe, Australia, Africa | Jurassic-Cretaceous (200-66 million years ago) | Shows distribution of marine reptiles across fragmenting Pangaea |
| Prosauropod dinosaurs | North America, Europe, South America, Africa | Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (~210-190 million years ago) | Demonstrates dinosaur distribution before complete continental separation |
| Morganucodon (early mammal) | Europe, China, North America | Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (~205-200 million years ago) | Shows distribution of early mammals across northern Pangaea (Laurasia) |
| Ginkgo trees | Asia, North America, Europe | Jurassic-present (200 million years ago-present) | Fossil distribution shows former range across northern continents |
| Marsupials | South America, Australia, Antarctica | Cretaceous-present (125 million years ago-present) | Illustrates mammal evolution and distribution across southern continents |
| Titanosaurid sauropods | South America, Africa, India, Australia | Late Cretaceous (~100-66 million years ago) | Shows dinosaur distribution on fragmenting Gondwana landmasses |
An animation showing continental drift.
Notice the formation of the underwater Mid-Atlantic Ridge as The Americas pull away from Africa.
Only an old Earth could explain such a phenomenon.