Which continents have matching fossils and rock types on neighbouring continents?

• A. Europe and Antarctica
• B. Asia and Australia
• C. North America and Europe
• D. South America and Africa

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is that matching fossils and rock types across different landmasses provide evidence that those continents were once connected and have since drifted apart. South America and Africa fit this best because when you map their coastlines together, they align like puzzle pieces and share very similar rock sequences and fossil records that come from the same ancient landmass, Gondwana. Fossils such as Mesosaurus and the Glossopteris flora appear on both continents, along with similar sedimentary rocks, indicating they were once joined and later separated by the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. The other pairs don’t show as clear a combination of matching fossils and rock types along their margins, so they’re less convincing as examples of past continental connection.