Studies of sea-floor spreading models from the viewpoints of paleontology, climatology, meteorology, and physical oceanography reveal serious discrepancies in these models. For example: (1) Late Paleozoic-Mesozoic tetrapod distribution reveals that the generic identity between Africa and South America is only 4%. There are no tetrapod genera common to southern Africa and Australia. (2) The dicynodont reptile, Lystrosaurus, has been found in Antarctica, South Africa, India, and western China, but not in Australia and South America. Lystrosaurus appears to be aquatic. (3) Eighteen freshwater ostracod species are common to western Africa and eastern South America, but there are few common marine species. Birds and large flying insects carry freshwater ostracod larvae today b tween continents; no doubt they did so in the past. (4) Species-diversity gradients are symmetrical with respect to the present pole at least as far back as Permian time. (5) Faunal realm studies of certain Mississippian and Triassic marine families show that migration between North America and Europe was via several Arctic routes. North American benthonic faunal identities with Europe at the specific level appear to be higher today (8%) than at any time in the geologic past (average, about 5%). (6) The presence of 95% of all evaporites, middle Proterozoic through the present, in areas underlain by today's dry wind belts shows that lower atmosphere circulation patterns have remained almost unchanged for 1 billion years--a physical impossibility unless the rotational axis, continents, and ocean basins have remained stable since middle Proterozoic time. (7) Because of a lack of moisture, coal could not have formed in the interiors of Laurasia or Gondwanaland. (8) Tillite distribution leads to the

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same conclusions as for coals. (9) Surface and subsurface continuity of stratigraphic units and paleontologic zones from the central India shield to central Afghanistan and Iran proves that India has been a part of Asia since the latter part of Proterozoic time.

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