The Museum of West Namibia wants to know if the Mesosaurus fossils were separated in one or a series of quick, huge movements, or if the separation was the result of slow and steady movement. Given what you learned today, which of the claims below seems best supported? Why? What questions do you still have? Write your response to these questions below, using words from the Word Bank. Claim 1: The South American Plate and African Plate moved apart suddenly.

Claim 2: The South American Plate and African Plate moved apart gradually.

Word Bank

mantle

outer layer

pattern

plate

plate boundary

rate