Transcript The Mystery of the Pangaea Puzzle

The Mystery of the
Pangaea Puzzle
Pangaea Game
Intent
For students to discover the
evidence that supports plate
tectonics based on the model of
Pangaea.
Researchable Question
How would you
determine that
the continents
were once
connected as a
single land
mass?
Hypothesis
Fossil deposition patterns,
or fossil locations, on
different continents can
be used to
determine if the
continents were
connected as
Pangaea.
Experimental Design
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Search ERESE lab report matrix, and the Earthref.org database to
find data to support hypothesis. After searching these databases,
if more information is still needed search the world wide web
using a search engine like google. Some of the key items that
need to be addressed are plate tectonic fossils, fossil evidence,
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/plate_tectonics/pa
rt3.html
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/pagaea/evidence.html
http://wwwshs1.bham.wednet.edu/curric/science/geophys/james/p
an4.htm
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/glossary/co
ntdrift.shtml
Then we went back to the Google search engine and searched for
Mesosaurus, Glossopteris, Cynognathus, Lystrosaurus and viewed
the available links.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/therapsids/cynognathu
s.shtml
http://www.mathematical.com/dinolystrosaur.html
Data
Continental Drift - Fossils
Fossils of species such as Glossopteris, Mesosaurus,
Cynognathus, and Lystrosaurus were found on
different continents. When the continents are
reassembled into Pangaea,
the fossils of these species
are accounted for over a
smaller geographical area.
Data
The Plants and Animals Match
Wegener saw that plant fossils were found on
several different continents and were quite
different, which means that they could have
evolved together on a single land mass.
Certain plant and animal fossils were found on
the matching coastlines of South America and
Africa, which are presently separated by the
Atlantic Ocean.
S.
America
Africa
Data
Fossil Evidence
In the Upper Triassic sediments,
the Glossopteris and Mesosaurus
were found in western North
America and South Africa.
In 1973, Chinese fossil specialists
discovered Cynognathus fossils in
Peking, China, forcing a link between
North West China with South America
and South Africa.
Data
Glossopteris “tongue”
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Extinct seed fern
Tongue-like leaves
12 ft. tall
Found in India, South America,
southern Africa, Australia,
and Antarctica (Southern Hemisphere)
Dominant plant of Gondwana
Eduard Suess thought “Land Bridge!”
Data
Mesosaurus “middle lizard”
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Fresh-water reptile
Lightly-built, four legs, elongated
head and snout with nostrils near
its eyes
Flattened tail for swimming
1.5 ft. long
Carnivore that ate fish and shrimp
Primitive reptile that returned to water 300 million years
ago after adapted to land
One of the first aquatic reptiles
Found in South Africa, and South America
Data
Cynognathus “dog jaw”
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Mammal-like reptile
Lived in open plains
Warm-blooded
Possible birth to live
young
Fast-moving carnivore
Powerful jaws and doglike teeth
Hunted herbivores in
packs
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Walked on four legs
Flat-footed
Tail shorter than most
Size of a wolf
5 ft long
Skull was 1 ft long
Skin may have been covered
with hair
Found in South Africa and
Argentina
Data
Lystrosaurus georgi “shovel
reptile”
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Mammal-like reptile
Size of a small dog
Teeth reduced to a pair of tusk
Herbivore
Snout turned down
Nostrils and eye sockets placed near top of head
Teeth and jaws placed low
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Amphibious feeder (hippo)
Coastal environments of rare
continental basins
Dug up roots with teeth
Wide paws (can walk in boggy
places )
Data
Fossil
Period
(mil. yrs. ago)
Mesosaurus
Permian
(260)
Lythosaurus
Early Triassic (240)
Cynognathus
Middle Triassic
(230-245)
Glossopteris
Permian-Triassic
(248- 206)
Data Analysis
Species of fossils
Time period they
lived in
Continents fossils were found
in
Mesosaurus
260 mya Permian
S. Africa, S. America,
Glossosteris
248 mya PermianTriassic
India, S. America, S. Africa, Australia
Lystrosaurus
240 mya Early
Triassic
Antarctica, India, Africa
Cynognathus
245-230 mya Middle
Triassic
S. Africa, Argentina
Data Analysis
Could these plants/animals have
crossed the ocean?
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Glossopteris: No,
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Mesosaurus: No,
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Cynognathus: No,
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Lystrosaurus: No,
because the seeds were
too heavy to be carried by the wind and too
fragile to float across the Atlantic Ocean.
because this reptile was
too small to attempt to swim across such a great
distance.
because this reptile
would be unable to survive swimming for that
amount of time.
because this reptile
survives on roots and could not survive the vast
ocean without food.
Conclusion
Since each species of fossils were
found to be the same age at different
locations and the probability of each
species traveling over one or more
oceans is slim to none, the
depositions patterns of the fossils
supports the theory that Pangaea did
exist as a single land mass at one
point in time.
Bibliography
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Boyd, Kate.Fossil Evidence.Online.August 28, 2004
http://wwwshs1.bham.wednet.edu/curric/science/geophys/james/pan4.ht
m
Enchanted Learning.Cynognathus.Online.August 28, 2004
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/therapsids/cynognathus.sht
ml
Enchanted Learning.Fossil Evidence in Support on the
Theory.Online.August 28, 2004
http://ww.enchantedlearning.com/subjetcs/dinosaurs/glossary/contdrift.sh
tml>
Lystrosaurus georgi.online.August 28, 2004
http://www.mathematical.com/dinolystrosaur.html
Sample, Sharron.Evidence Supporting Continental Drift.Online.August 28,
2004 http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/pangaea/evidence.html
Sample, Sharron.The Earth, 250 Million Years Ago.Online.August 28, 2004
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/pangaea/pangaea_game.html
Study Guide.Online.August 28, 2004
http://www.lenoxpublicschools.org/four/sanders/study.htm
University of North Dakota.Continental Drift- Fossils.Online. August 28,
2004
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/plate_tectonics/part3.ht
ml
Watson, Jim.usgs.Online.August 26,2004
http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/continents.html
This project was by:
LaShae Hart
Jillian Helms
Ashley King
Joelle Swartz