According to the theory of continental drift, in prehistoric times, many of today' s separate continents were part of a single huge landmass  As the plates on which this landmass rested began to move, the mass broke apart, and ocean water filled the newly created chasms
Several species of plants found in western Africa closely resemble plants growing in South America.
 It is hypothesized, for example, that South America was once joined on its east coast with what is now the west coast of Africa