It does seem that politics plays a high role in this game. Consider how long it took Plate Tectonics to become an accepted Theory. It wasn't until the Navy was mapping the ocean floor magnetics in the 60's that they had 'proof' and could now explain the how and have it be accepted.

Eduard Suess first suggested a great land called Gondwanaland near the close of the nineteenth century and Alfred Wegener published in 1915 his continental drift concept - it took roughly 50 years for further evidence to come along to validate his claims.

Geology is a very young science as science goes (consider when medicine or chemistry or biology started as a science) - mostly started in the late 1700's - there's still a lot to learn.

Canie