This question is based off of a theory of Pangea. If the theory were fact, then it could be due to the erosion of the beaches and island. Much like the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon, constant water pushing and pulling away from a land mass changes it's shape.
The present shape of the continents does not fit perfectly into the shape of a supercontinent because the Earth's tectonic plates are constantly moving. These movements are driven by processes like plate tectonics and convection currents in the mantle, causing the continents to drift apart, collide, and rearrange over millions of years. This results in the continents having different shapes and positions compared to when they were part of a single supercontinent like Pangaea.
One reason is because the Coastlines of land masses change over time. If you map the edges of the continental shelves, the fit is much better.
Africa and South America are similar in physical outline shape. This resemblance is due to the way these continents used to fit together as part of the supercontinent Pangaea.
As the continents moved further apart, natural erosion of the Coastlines removed and added to the basic shape over billions of years. Much of the evidence relates to the similarities of plants and animals found on now separate continents. Geological evidence points to Antarctica was once further north and had a tropical climate!
The shape of the continents is evidence of the movements of tectonic plates over millions of years. The continents were once part of a supercontinent called Pangaea, which began to break apart about 200 million years ago. This process, known as plate tectonics, explains why the continents fit together like a puzzle and why their shapes are complementary.
The present shape of the continents does not fit perfectly into the shape of a supercontinent because the Earth's tectonic plates are constantly moving. These movements are driven by processes like plate tectonics and convection currents in the mantle, causing the continents to drift apart, collide, and rearrange over millions of years. This results in the continents having different shapes and positions compared to when they were part of a single supercontinent like Pangaea.
They would fit roughly together but not perfectly due to years and years of erosion. As evident as Africa and So. America are that they were once joined. Erosion does not work. Even with that they will not fit. Try it with cut outs. But shrink the size of the earths sphere to about 1/2 its size today and they fit perfect.
One piece of evidence that indicates the continents were once connected is the shape of the continents. Many of the continents look as if they fit together like a puzzle.
One reason is because the Coastlines of land masses change over time. If you map the edges of the continental shelves, the fit is much better.
As the continents moved further apart, natural erosion of the coastlines removed and added to the basic shape over billions of years. Much of the evidence relates to the similarities of plants and animals found on now separate continents. Geological evidence points to Antarctica was once further north and had a tropical climate!
As the continents moved further apart, natural erosion of the Coastlines removed and added to the basic shape over billions of years. Much of the evidence relates to the similarities of plants and animals found on now separate continents. Geological evidence points to Antarctica was once further north and had a tropical climate!
If you take a map and cut out all the Continent, you can see that they fit together almost perfectly, like a giant puzzle. This idea supports the fact that all the continents were connected in one large landmass.
As the continents moved further apart, natural erosion of the Coastlines removed and added to the basic shape over billions of years. Much of the evidence relates to the similarities of plants and animals found on now separate continents. Geological evidence points to Antarctica was once further north and had a tropical climate!
Sea level changes, erosion, sedimentation, and uplift and subsidence of the surface can change the shapes of costlines. It has been dound that the present day continental shelves acutally fit together better than the coastlines. This makes sense, as when Pangaea rifted apart, the land immediately around the rifts would have dropped below sea level.
Africa and South America are similar in physical outline shape. This resemblance is due to the way these continents used to fit together as part of the supercontinent Pangaea.
As the continents moved further apart, natural erosion of the Coastlines removed and added to the basic shape over billions of years. Much of the evidence relates to the similarities of plants and animals found on now separate continents. Geological evidence points to Antarctica was once further north and had a tropical climate!
The shape of the continents is evidence of the movements of tectonic plates over millions of years. The continents were once part of a supercontinent called Pangaea, which began to break apart about 200 million years ago. This process, known as plate tectonics, explains why the continents fit together like a puzzle and why their shapes are complementary.