Why is glossopteris evidence of gondwana

Skip to Secondary Navigation. Skip to Footer. In this section Description Glossopteris occurs in a variety of growth forms with the most common being the tongue-shaped leaf with prominent midrib and reticulate venation. Once Glossopteris shed their leaves, the plant material accumulated in acidic water with high levels of tannins and low oxygen concentrations. This retarded the activity of the bacteria, fungi and other organisms that would otherwise lead to decomposition.

Over time layers of mud, silt and sand washed into the swamp and buried the waterlogged peat layers. Millions of years passed. During this period the mud, silt, sand and the encased plant material experienced great pressure and high temperatures. It was compressed and changed into rock, and underwent various chemical changes. The result? Coal seams. This is why coal is referred to as a fossil fuel.

Cynognathus is an extinct mammal-like reptile. Cynognathus was as large as a modern wolf and lived during the early to mid Triassic period to million years ago. It is found as fossils only in South Africa and South America. It is thought to have been herbivorous and grew to approximately one metre in length, with a stocky build like a pig.

Similar to the land dwelling Cynognathus, the Lystrosaurus would have not had the swimming capability to traverse any ocean. Modern day representation of the Glossopteris.

Possibly the most important fossil evidence found is the plant, Glossopteris. Known as a woody, seed bearing tree, the Glossopteris is named after the Greek description for tongue due to its tongue shaped leaves and is the largest genus of the extinct descendant of seed ferns. Reaching as tall as 30 meters, the Glossopteris emerged during the early Permian period million years ago and became the dominant land plant species until the end of the Permian.

Now, the Glossopteris seed is known to be large and bulky and therefore could not have drifted or flown across the oceans to a separate continent. Description showing the fossil locations of the Mesosaurus, Cynognathus, Lystrosaurus, and Glossopteris spread across different continents.

If the continents of the Southern Hemisphere are put together, the distribution of these four fossil types form continuous patterns across continental boundaries.