Continental Drift & prominent evidences

The theory of continental drift was propounded by Wagner according to which all he continents formed a single continental mass called PANGEA and mega ocean PANTHALASSA surrounded it. He argued that, around 200 million years ago, the supercontinent, Pangea, began to split in two different directions. 

Pangea first broke into two large continental masses as Laurasia and Gondwanaland forming Northern and Southern components respectively. Evidences in support of the continental drift are — 

1. Matching of continents (Jig-saw-fit)— the shorelines of Africa and South America facing each other have a remarkable and unmistakable match. 

2. Rocks of same age across the oceans — The belt of ancient rocks of 2000 million years from Brazil coast matches with those from Western Africa. 

3. Evidence left by past glacial flows. 

4. Fossils Deposits — Observation that Lemurs occur in India, Madagascar and Africa led some to consider a contiguous landmass ‘Lemuria’ linking three landmasses.

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