The geographic distribution of the Mesosaurus, a small swimming reptile that lived during the late Paleozoic, shows that the reptile lived on the southwest coast of what is now Africa and the southeast coast of what is now South America. This provides evidence that
A) a land bridge once existed between Africa and South America.
B) the Atlantic Ocean was once much more shallow.
C) Africa and South America were once joined into one continent.
D) migration between Africa and South America was once possible.
E) the Earth was once much smaller in size.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The distribution of Mesosaurus provides evidence that Africa and South America were once joined into one continent. The presence of the same species on both the southwest coast of Africa and the southeast coast of South America indicates that there was once a connection between the landmasses, which supports the theory of continental drift.

The Geographic Distribution of the Mesosaurus, a Small Swimming Reptile