Question

Early observers thought continents may have been joined based on what observation?

Answer 1

Answer:

Another observation favoring continental drift was the presence of evidence for continental glaciation in the Pensylvanian period. Striae left by the scraping of glaciers over the land surface indicated that Africa and South America had been close together at the time of this ancient ice age.

Answer 2

Early observers thought continents may have been joined based on their coastline.

• The resemblance of different continents' coasts shows that they were previously linked. However, the fact that they were hundreds of kilometers apart implied continental drift or plate tectonics.
• Taylor, the first believer in plate tectonics, stated that the coastlines of eastern South America, as well as western Africa, were similar. His case was undercut by evident mismatches, but it was later established that the important test of matching was matching the continental shelves around these continents. Erosion may have a substantial impact on the coastline's shape. The match between these beaches was outstanding when comprehensive mapping of those continental shelves was completed.