Before the 1700s, Europeans believed there was no land bridge between Russia and Alaska.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Cannot be determined

Answer: (B)

Think about how people explain why Asia and North America share similar plants, animals, and, later, human histories. Even before the 1700s, some European scholars and explorers discussed the possibility that a land connection might once have linked Siberia and Alaska, allowing movement between continents. That means the idea of a land bridge was on the table as a plausible explanation, not something they had already ruled out. So the claim that Europeans believed there was no land bridge is not accurate. In reality, the notion that a land bridge could have existed was part of early thinking, long before modern mapping or exploration clarified the region.