Why do continents fit like puzzle pieces?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Once joined supercontinent
Coincidence in shapes — Wrong. It's not coincidence. Continental shapes match because they were once joined as the supercontinent Pangaea before plate tectonics split them apart.
Once joined supercontinent ✓ — Correct! About 200 million years ago, all continents formed one supercontinent called Pangaea. Plate tectonics (driven by mantle convection) split it apart. Africa and South America's coastlines fit together because they were once connected! Fossil evidence, rock formations, and matching coastlines prove continental drift!
Ocean erosion shaped edges — Wrong. Erosion doesn't create the fit. Continents match because they split from Pangaea through plate tectonics, not from coastal shaping.