Africa and South America: Once United in Gondwana

Continental Drift Evidence

Yes. Around 180 million years ago, Africa and South America were joined as part of the supercontinent Gondwana (alongside Antarctica, Australia, India, Madagascar).

Breakup Sequence

• ~180 Ma: Gondwana begins fragmenting; East Gondwana (Antarctica, Australia, India, Madagascar) separates.
• ~130–120 Ma: South Atlantic opens; Africa and South America drift apart. Matching coastlines (Brazil–Gulf of Guinea), geological formations (Paraná–Etendeka traps), and fossil distributions (Mesosaurus, Glossopteris) confirm the fit.
• Present: Atlantic widens ~2.5 cm/year.

Mechanism

Plate tectonics: mantle convection drives divergent boundary at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, creating new oceanic crust.

This classic evidence supported Wegener's continental drift theory and modern plate tectonics.