Who first proposed the idea of continental drift?

Who first proposed the idea of continental drift?

• A. Alfred Wegener
• B. Charles Darwin
• C. Isaac Newton
• D. Louis Agassiz

Answer: (A)

The main concept being tested is whether continents have moved over time. Alfred Wegener first proposed continental drift, arguing that the continents were once joined in a supercontinent and have since drifted apart. He supported his idea with a wide range of evidence: the coastlines of continents that fit together like puzzle pieces, the distribution of identical or related fossils across continents, matching rock types and mountain belts, and signs of past climates in places where they wouldn’t be expected unless the continents moved. The idea faced initial resistance because there was no credible mechanism at the time to move large landmasses; later, the development of plate tectonics provided the physical process behind the movement. Other famous scientists—Darwin in biology, Newton in physics, and Agassiz in glacial research—made important contributions in their fields but did not propose continental drift.

The main concept being tested is whether continents have moved over time. Alfred Wegener first proposed continental drift, arguing that the continents were once joined in a supercontinent and have since drifted apart. He supported his idea with a wide range of evidence: the coastlines of continents that fit together like puzzle pieces, the distribution of identical or related fossils across continents, matching rock types and mountain belts, and signs of past climates in places where they wouldn’t be expected unless the continents moved. The idea faced initial resistance because there was no credible mechanism at the time to move large landmasses; later, the development of plate tectonics provided the physical process behind the movement. Other famous scientists—Darwin in biology, Newton in physics, and Agassiz in glacial research—made important contributions in their fields but did not propose continental drift.