‘Africa Forms the Key’: Alex Du Toit and the History of Continental Drift (Cambridge Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies)

This book examines the work of prominent South African geologist Alex Du Toit as a means of understanding the debate around continental drift both in segregation-era South Africa and internationally. It contextualises Du Toit's work within a particularly formative period of South African science, from the paleoanthropological discoveries that sparked debates about the origins of humankind to Jan Smuts' own theory of holism. Beyond South African scientific discoveries, the book sets Du Toit's work against a backdrop of ideological struggles over space, both domestically in terms of segregation and nationalism, as well as internationally as South Africa sought to assert its position within the Commonwealth. These debates were embodied by Du Toit's work on the theory of continental drift, which put Africa - and South Africa - at the centre geologically and geographically. The author also focuses on the divisions in geology caused by drift theory, tracing the vigorous intellectual debate and dissent indicative of the ideological milieu within which scientific thought is constructed. It traces the history of continental drift from its inception in the nineteenth century and later work of Alfred Wegener, which was both elaborated upon and substantiated by Du Toit. The study further focuses on Du Toit's research on continental drift in South African and South America, and the geological, fossil and climatological evidence used to bolster this theory. . Preface and Acknowledgements Contents List of Figures Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: In the Beginning...: Geology in South Africa and the Early Years of Alex Du Toit The Evolution of Scientific Knowledge Early Geology in South Africa Du Toit’s Education in South Africa Scotland Early Career in South Africa Chapter 3: A World in a Grain of Sand: A Brief History of Geology and the Origins of Continental Drift Theory Chapter 4: Bedrock: Geology and the Shaping of a Nation The First Visit of the British Association Mining and Empire Du Toit’s Scientific Method Chapter 5: On the Shoulders of Giants: Early Drift Theorists Eduard Suess Frank Bursley Taylor Alfred Wegener Chapter 6: Looking Through ... the Keyhole of Nature: Du Toit and Early Continental Drift Chapter 7: And Yet It Moves...: Du Toit’s South American Journey The Evidence: Fossils and Formations The Geology of South Africa Physical Geography for South African Schools Economic Geology and Mining Chapter 8: The Cradle of Humankind: A Pivotal Decade for Science in South Africa Developments in the 1920s The Second British Association Visit The International Geological Congress Conclusion Chapter 9: Our Wandering Continents: Du Toit’s Definitive Work, Controversy and Consensus Supporters Detractors Southern Assertion Chapter 10: A Frozen History of the Past: Antarctica, Gondwana and an Unfulfilled Dream Chapter 11: The Final Years War Service Awards and Accolades Legacy Chapter 12: Pale Blue Dot: Conclusions The Dark Continent? Postscript: Plate Tectonics and the Vindication of Drift Theory The Mechanics of Tectonics The Supercontinent Cycle Bibliography Archival Sources and Newspaper Articles Alex Du Toit: Books and Articles Secondary Sources: Books, Journal Articles and Chapters and Online Sources Index