How Do We Know Plate Tectonics Is Real?

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate But did thee feel the Earth move? ↓ More info and sources below ↓ Why do Africa and South America fit together? Anyone who’s ever looked at a map can see that Earth’s continents are kind of like a jigsaw puzzle. The idea that continents are constantly moving and weren’t always in their current spots is a pretty obvious idea, right? You might be surprised to learn that geologists only accepted that idea recently in the past few decades, and it figuring out how plate tectonics and continental drift work required some pretty strange evidence. ----------- LEARN MORE: Some background on Alfred Wegener: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/techist.html Lystrosaurus (ancient mammal relative): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lystrosaurus Glossopteris (ancient fern): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossopteris The splitting of Africa: http://theconversation.com/splitting-africa-what-happens-when-a-continent-breaks-apart-6248 ----------- FOLLOW US: Merch: https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart Twitter: @okaytobesmart @DrJoeHanson Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Instagram: @DrJoeHanson Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Director: Joe Nicolosi Writer: Shaena Montanari Producer/editor/animator: Andrew Orsak Producer: Stephanie Noone and Amanda Fox Produced by PBS Digital Studios Music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock http://www.shutterstock.com