Glossopteris fossil leaves
When many scientists from various disciplines unite, they can forever change a worldview. During the first half of the 20th century, geologist Eduard Suess discovered that fossils of the extinct seed fern Glossopteris could be found on three different continents. This led him to believe that, at one time, the continents had formed one gigantic supercontinent, and later drifted apart. This was a brand-new idea, as most scientists back then presumed that the Earth’s crust was permanently fixed on the outside of the globe. In subsequent years, scientists from numerous disciplines came across more proof that could strengthen Suess’ observation. In the end, there were so many counterarguments that scientists decided to formulate a new hypothesis: The Earth’s crust does move! Nowadays, the theory of continental drift is generally accepted.
- Date: ca. 252-299 million years old
- Found in : Mozambique
- Collection: Department of Geology
The distribution of the Glossopteris genus was a key argument in favour of the continental drift hypothesis.
What is Glossopteris?
Glossopteris is a genus of extinct seed ferns, which, at first sight, closely resemble ferns. This plant could grow as tall as a tree. Glossopteris grew during the late Carboniferous period and the Permian Period, about 300 to 250 million years ago, when the Earth was still one supercontinent.
What is special about this fossil plant?
In the first half of the 20th century, geologist Eduard Suess discovered that Glossopteris fossils could be found on different continents. According to Suess, the reason for this was that, once upon a time, the three continents had been one vast supercontinent, which he called Gondwana. The distribution of the Glossopteris genus was therefore a key argument in favour of the continental drift hypothesis, which at the time still lacked support.
