(Originais Teachy 2024) - Question Hard of Sciences

Analyzing geological maps, we notice that the rock structures and plant and animal fossils from areas that are now separated by large ocean expanses often fit together in a surprising way. In addition, paleoclimatic and glacial evidence suggest that regions such as South America and Africa, which now have such different climates, had a similar distribution of glaciation in the past. Based on these observations, scientist Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift, which was later substantiated and expanded by the theory of plate tectonics. (1) Explain, based on the evidence presented by Wegener and knowledge about tectonic plates, how the movement of plates can justify the formation of continents and the distribution of fossils and geological structures. (2) In 'On the Origin of Species', Charles Darwin described a process of natural selection that acts on species, resulting in adaptations to the environment over generations. Considering this evolutionary perspective, discuss how continental drift and the formation of geographic barriers can influence biological diversity and species evolution on different continents.