Section Five-Test 02 (Stnd 20) V1

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Stnd 20: Plate Tectonics-Fossils & Features

Plate tectonic movement best explains a variety of geological features found around the globe.

Multi-Select Question
Select the best examples of geological features which support the theory of tectonic plate movement. (Select 3 of the 5 choices.)

a.	Volcanoes formed in subduction zones where plates are colliding with each other.
b.	Mountain ranges formed along convergent plate boundaries.
c.	The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (seafloor spreading) along a massive divergent plate boundary.
d.	Climate evidence contrasting modern climatic conditions with past climatic conditions.
e.	Fossil evidence of plants and animals found across multiple continents

Imagine that you are a geologist in 1913 working with Alfred Wegener. You are attempting to find evidence to support his Continental Drift theory. Together you examine the Appalachian Mountains in North America, the Scottish Highlands in Great Britain, and the Caledonian Mountains in Scandinavia (see map below). You find that these mountain ranges have very similar features.

Multi-Select Question
As Wegener’s partner you are asked to construct an explanation about his Continental Drift theory. Which of the following points about the previously mentioned mountain ranges would best support Wegener’s claims that the continents were once joined together as a single huge landmass? (Select 3 of the 5 choices).

a.	These mountain ranges are all the same age. (Formed at the same time).
b.	The structure of the rock formations in these mountains are very similar.
c.	All three of these mountain ranges are located in Arctic climate zones.
d.	All of these mountain ranges were formed at divergent plate boundaries.
e.	These mountain ranges are composed of the same types of rocks.

Alfred Wegener invested a great deal of time studying South America and Africa to find evidence to support his ideas about tectonic plate movement.

Multi-Select Question
Select evidence that supports the idea that Africa and South America were once joined. (Select 3 of the 5 choices.)

a.	Volcanoes are found on both continents in subduction zones at transform boundaries.
b.	Fossils of dinosaurs have been located in Africa and in South America.
c.	A type of fossil plant (Glossopteris) has been found on both continents.
d.	The landform shapes of these two continents appear to fit together like puzzle pieces.
e.	Rock from an African mountain range matches up with similar rock in South America.

To support his Continental Drift theory, Alfred Wegener studied fossils found on different continents. He discovered that Mesosaurus fossils (a freshwater reptile from the Permian period) provided good evidence that supported his ideas concerning tectonic plate movement.

How do Mesosaurus fossils support the Continental Drift/Plate Tectonics theory?

a.	These organisms may have been extinguished during the Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction that is estimated to have wiped out approximately 96% of life on Earth.
b.	Mesosaurs were slender carnivorous reptiles that thrived in the Permian period, and they are related to modern turtles and tortoises.
c.	Fossils of Mesosaurs are only located along active geological fault lines at convergent boundaries in subduction zones. This is solid evidence for plate tectonics.
d.	Mesosaur fossils are found in South America and Africa. As a freshwater organism, it is highly unlikely that these reptiles could swim across the vast Atlantic ocean.

Wegener confirmed that flora and fauna fossils matched the same types of fossils across different continents. This supported his claim that the continents were once joined together. Two key examples that he studied were Mesosaurus fossils (a freshwater reptile) and Glossopteris fossils (fern-like gymnosperm plant).

Which of the following statements about Glossopteris fossils provides the best evidence to support Wegener’s Continental Drift theory?

a.	Glossopteris fossils are found in India, South America, Australia, Africa, and Antarctica. This distribution is best explained by tectonic plate movement.
b.	These organisms were initially thought to be ferns, but modern analysis suggests that they were deciduous gymnosperm plants.
c.	Glossopteridales thrived in the Southern Hemisphere during the Permian Period, but they went extinct during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction event.
d.	Ferns are plants that do not bear flowers. Gymnosperms, such as Glossopteridales, on the other hand, are believed to have been flower bearing.