History of the Theory of Continental Drift

By warm-apples

  • Abraham Ortelius

    Dutch map maker first mentioned the idea of continental drift in his publication. His theory suggested that America was “torn away from Europe and Africa…by earthquakes and floods”

  • Frances Bacon

    Notcied that the outlines of the continents appeared as though they could fit together

  • James Hutton

    The "Uniformitarian Principle", based on the concept of geollogical forms and processes acting similar to the past as it did in the present

  • Alexander Bon Humbolt

    Idea that the land was once joined

  • Antonio Snider-Pellegrini

    Created two maps demonstrating how the American and African continents may once have fit together and then separated.

  • Alfred Wegener

    Published his continental drift theory - that Earth’s surface has changed over time and continents were once joined together (based on fossil evidence of similar species found on continents that are now separated)