Question

How does Pangaea relate to continental drift?

Answer 1

Hint: The hypothesis of continental drift was proposed first, as early as the late 16th century by a scientist named Abraham Ortelius. However, it was not until the year 1912, that the theory was independently developed by the renowned geophysicist Alfred Wegener.

Complete answer:
Continental drift is a theory that the present-day continents of Earth have separated over time, from a very large mass of land or supercontinent known as Pangaea. It is said that the supercontinent Pangaea existed during the late Palaeozoic and the early Mesozoic eras where it is estimated that the congregation of land occurred 335 million years ago and the continental drift started about 175 million years ago.
Studies have shown clear evidence on the existence of the supercontinent Pangaea. Some evidences are:
i) Fossils of a therapsid Lystrosaurus have been spotted simultaneously, in South Africa, India and Antarctica.
ii) Geological matching of the borders of the western coast of South America and the eastern coastline of Africa, as if they are pieces of jigsaw puzzle.
iii) There is a surprising continuity of the geographical features across the globe. Some examples are:
Appalachian Mountains in the South-Eastern United States of America and Caledonides range of Ireland, Britain, Greenland and Scandinavia.
Deccan Plateau in the southern part of India and the African plateau in the central region of the continent.

Note: The theory that explains the movement of the landmass is called tectonic plate theory, which states that the continents are made of large pieces of land known as tectonic plates, as though it is like a plate floating on the surface of water. It is said that the mountains of Himalayas are formed by the bombardment of tectonic plates of India and the Eurasian tectonic plates.