Evolution Of Australia Biotia

Question 1

Smaller continental plates in Gondwana

Answer 1

Antartica 
India
Australia
Africa
South America
Madagascar

Question 2

Evidence that Australia was once part of a landmass called Gondwana

Answer 2

Matching continental plate boundaries- shows that southern continents match up like a jigsaw to form a large landmass

Sea floor spreading- provides a mechanism that caused Gondwana to break up and the smaller plates to drift

Fossils- been found on seperate continents that were once part of the Gondwana landscape
Eg glossopteris
Gangamopteria.
Both rainforest trees

Current day organisms with similar characteristics found on Gondwanan continents- marsupials southern beech tree and flightless birds

Question 3

Extinct species

Answer 3

No longer existing

Question 4

How evolution of most living organisms can be traced to common ancestors

Answer 4

Fossil record

Distribution

Question 5

Extant species

Answer 5

Still existing

Question 6

Most Megafauna have become extinct

due to

Answer 6

Climate change- Australia now warmer and drier

Human expansion- hunting

Question 7

Australia’s past has been recorded form recent fossil find examples

Answer 7

Riversleigh (QLD) –place
Thingoelontans — fossil

Bluff downs (QLD) - place 
Bluff downs giant Python--- fossil