The complementary arrangement of the facing sides of South America and Africa is an obvious and temporary coincidence. In millions of years, slab pull, ridge-push, and other forces of tectonophysics will further separate and rotate those two continents. It was that temporary feature that inspired Wegener to study what he defined as continental drift although he did not live to see his hypothesis generally accepted.
The complementa:ry arrangement of the facing sides of South America and Africa is an obviou:s and temporar,y coincidence. In millions of years, slab pull, ridge-push, and other forces of tectonophysics will furthe?r separate and rotate those two continents. It was that temporary feature that inspired Wegener to study what he defined as continental drift although he did not live to see his hypothe,sis generally accepted.