Which of the following provided key evidence for the theory of continental drift?

The theory of continental drift was significantly supported by fossil correlations, which demonstrate how similar species were found on widely separated continents. For example, identical fossil species of the freshwater reptile Mesosaurus have been discovered in both South America and Africa, which are currently separated by vast ocean distances. This suggests that these continents were once joined as a single landmass, allowing the species to inhabit both areas before the continents drifted apart.

Fossil correlations not only highlight the similarities in life forms across continents but also indicate that continents were contiguous at a time when those species existed. The alignment of similar fossils across various continents provides compelling evidence for the movement of landmasses over geological time.

While oceanic trench patterns, magnetic field reversals, and concepts related to plate tectonics are all important in understanding the dynamics of Earth's surface, they are more directly related to the mechanisms and consequences of tectonic movement rather than specifically supporting the initial idea of continental drift. Fossil correlations uniquely illustrate the historical distribution of life on Earth in relation to continental configurations.