Pangaea: The Supercontinent

What was the result of the merging of modern-day continents into a large supercontinent?

Who observed how Earth's continents appeared to fit together like a puzzle?

What did Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift explain?

When did the supercontinent Pangaea start to break up?

What caused the formation of Pangaea?

Approximately when did Laurasia and Gondwana split apart?

What was the sea that formed between Laurasia and Gondwana?

When did South America and Africa drift apart, creating the Atlantic Ocean?

What is one evidence of Pangaea's existence mentioned in the text?

The continent of Pangaea, meaning "all the Earth," was broken up into two supercontinents: Laurasia and Gondwana.
Laurasia consisted of North America and most of Europe, while Gondwana included South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and Indo-Pakistan.
The sea that formed between Laurasia and Gondwana was the Tethys Sea.
Continental drift, a part of plate tectonics, was the cause of Pangaea's formation.
The supercontinent existed approximately 280-230 million years ago.
Pangaea began to break up around 200 million years ago due to seafloor spreading.
Laurasia and Gondwana separated, forming the Tethys Sea in between.
During the Jurassic period, Gondwana started to fracture and eventually split into Africa, Australia, South America, the Indian subcontinent, and the Arabian Peninsula.
South America and Africa drifted apart around 140 million years ago, creating the Atlantic Ocean.
Australia and Antarctica separated 45 million years ago, and Madagascar broke away from India and moved away from both.
Laurasia split into North America, Europe, and Asia around 66-30 million years ago.
The continents are still moving today, with some moving apart and others coming together.
Evidence of Pangaea's existence includes fossil distribution, seemingly complementary coastlines, and rock strata patterns that match across continents.

Explore the history and formation of Pangaea, the supercontinent that existed approximately 280 - 230 million years ago during the late Paleozoic and late Triassic era. Discover how the modern-day continents once formed a large, singular landmass and learn about the Panthalassa ocean surrounding this supercontinent.