Question

How does the Petoskey Stone help prove the Theory of Continental drift?

Answer 1

@xMissAlyCatx

Answer 2

@SolomonZelman

Answer 3

@xMissAlyCatx

Answer 4

The Petoskey stone is the state stone of Michigan. It is a fossilized coral and dates from the Devonian period, about 350 million years ago. The coral is a distinctive type called Hexagonaria percarinate. This type of coral, together with associated fossils such as Bryozoans, Stromatoporoids, Trilobites, and other corals allow the dating to the Devonian period. The coral would have formed in shallow warm seas close to the equator. The location close to the equator is further proven by fossilized magnetic rocks which show that the magnetic declination of this area at that time was close to zero - which fits with a location close to the equator. The movement of this region of the earth shows the effect of Plate Tectonics - which is the modern version of the theory of Continental Drift.