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Multiple Choice
On which landmasses did Lystrosaurus primarily live during the Early Triassic period?
A
Greenland and Asia
B
Australia and South America
C
Africa, Antarctica, and India
D
North America and Europe
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the context of the problem. Lystrosaurus is a genus of extinct therapsid reptiles that lived during the Early Triassic period. Its fossil distribution is significant in understanding continental drift and the theory of plate tectonics.
Step 2: Recall the concept of Pangaea. During the Early Triassic period, the supercontinent Pangaea existed, and its breakup led to the distribution of landmasses we see today. Fossil evidence of Lystrosaurus supports the idea that these animals lived on connected landmasses before the continents drifted apart.
Step 3: Analyze the fossil evidence. Fossils of Lystrosaurus have been found primarily in Africa, Antarctica, and India, which were part of the southern portion of Pangaea known as Gondwana during the Early Triassic period.
Step 4: Eliminate incorrect options. Fossil evidence does not support the presence of Lystrosaurus in Greenland, Asia, Australia, South America, North America, or Europe during the Early Triassic period.
Step 5: Conclude that the correct landmasses where Lystrosaurus primarily lived during the Early Triassic period are Africa, Antarctica, and India, based on fossil distribution and geological history.