100th century BCE
Southern supercontinent including Africa
Gondwanaland was the southern major unit of Pangaea, comprising South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica. Its geological identity is reflected in the close similarities among Carboniferous-to-Jurassic formations such as India’s Gondwana Supergroup and Africa’s Karroo Supergroup. The breakup of Gondwanaland and the subsequent separation of Africa from South America helped establish the continent’s modern configuration.
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The Story
Gondwanaland is presented as the southern component of Pangaea, distinct from the northern grouping of Laurasia. It embraced South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica. The reconstruction is based on the correspondence of continental outlines, geological formations, fossil plants, and palaeomagnetic evidence.
The name derives from the Gondwana Supergroup in India, whose Carboniferous-to-Jurassic rocks closely resemble Africa’s Karroo Supergroup and geological units of comparable age in other parts of the former supercontinent. These similarities provided an important foundation for interpreting the former unity of widely separated landmasses.
Palaeomagnetic studies indicate that Gondwanaland and Laurentia moved independently during the Precambrian, before the continental masses combined into Pangaea during the early Palaeozoic. The position of the south pole shifted relative to the assembled landmass, helping explain major glaciations recorded in southern Africa and elsewhere.
The breakup of Pangaea began in the Triassic, and the separation between South America and Africa began in the late Jurassic. By the end of the Cretaceous, South America was well separated from Africa, although Africa had not yet reached its present latitudinal position.
100th century BCE
Southern supercontinent including Africa
Gondwanaland was the southern major unit of Pangaea, comprising South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica. Its geological identity is reflected in the close similarities among Carboniferous-to-Jurassic formations such as India’s Gondwana Supergroup and Africa’s Karroo Supergroup. The breakup of Gondwanaland and the subsequent separation of Africa from South America helped establish the continent’s modern configuration.
Continue exploring
The Story
Gondwanaland is presented as the southern component of Pangaea, distinct from the northern grouping of Laurasia. It embraced South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica. The reconstruction is based on the correspondence of continental outlines, geological formations, fossil plants, and palaeomagnetic evidence.
The name derives from the Gondwana Supergroup in India, whose Carboniferous-to-Jurassic rocks closely resemble Africa’s Karroo Supergroup and geological units of comparable age in other parts of the former supercontinent. These similarities provided an important foundation for interpreting the former unity of widely separated landmasses.
Palaeomagnetic studies indicate that Gondwanaland and Laurentia moved independently during the Precambrian, before the continental masses combined into Pangaea during the early Palaeozoic. The position of the south pole shifted relative to the assembled landmass, helping explain major glaciations recorded in southern Africa and elsewhere.
The breakup of Pangaea began in the Triassic, and the separation between South America and Africa began in the late Jurassic. By the end of the Cretaceous, South America was well separated from Africa, although Africa had not yet reached its present latitudinal position.
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