The island of Madagascar is located just off the SE coast of Africa, in the Indi
ID: 70561 • Letter: T
Question
The island of Madagascar is located just off the SE coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean. Scientists find species on this island that have close biological relatives in both Australia and India. They also find that at each location there are fossils of similar organisms. What is the most likely explanation for this similarity between organisms in Madagascar, India, and Australia?
A. The organisms were introduced to all three places by extraterrestrial beings.
B. The ancestor of these organisms lived on a landmass long ago that included Madagascar, India, and Australia.
C. These organisms were moved back and forth to these different places by humans in recent geological history.
D. These organisms independently arose by natural selection in each location.
E. They are on the same side of Wallace’s line.
Explanation / Answer
Answer :
B. The ancestor of these organisms lived on a landmass long ago that included Madagascar, India, and Australia.
Explanation :
Tha comon landmass under which the the three madagascar, india and australia came under was Gondwanaland. It is the name given to the more southerly of two supercontinents (the other being Laurasia) that were part of the Pangaea supercontinent that existed from approximately 300 to 180 million years ago (Mya). Gondwana began to break up in the early Jurassic (about 184 Mya) accompanied by massive eruptions of basalt lava, as East Gondwana, comprising Antarctica, Madagascar, India, and Australia, began to separate from Africa. South America began to drift slowly westward from Africa as the South Atlantic Ocean opened, beginning about 130 Mya during the Early Cretaceous, and resulting in open marine conditions by 110 Mya. East Gondwana then began to separate about 120 Mya when India began to move northward.
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