Gondwana
Southern prehistoric continent
Gondwana is the ancient supercontinent that comprised most of the Southern Hemisphere's landmasses—South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and the Indian subcontinent—before they drifted apart beginning around 180 million years ago.
The term appears in geology and discussions of continental drift: Marsupials evolved when Gondwana was still connected.
Also called Gondwanaland.
Prehistoric unified landmass
- continental driftGradual landmass repositioning
- plate tectonicsEarth's crust mobility theory
- breakupRomantic relationship's termination
- riftingGeological spreading apart
Gondwanaland · landmass · fragmentation · coalescence · assembly · dispersal · reconstruction · paleogeography
First Mesozoic period
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- dinosaursExtinct prehistoric reptiles
- theropodsCarnivorous bipedal dinosaurs
sauropods · pterosaurs · conifers · cycads · gymnosperms · titanosaurs · marsupials · monotremes
Second-largest continent
- South AmericaWestern Hemisphere's southern continent
- AntarcticaSouthernmost continental landmass
- AustraliaSouthern Hemisphere continent-country
- IndiaSouth Asian republic
Madagascar · New Zealand · Arabian Peninsula · Falkland Islands · Sri Lanka · Patagonia · Zealandia · Seychelles
Earliest Paleozoic period
- OrdovicianPaleozoic geological period
- SilurianPaleozoic period, mid-range
- DevonianGeologic period, 419-359 million years ago
- CarboniferousCoal-depositing geological period
Permian · glaciation · marine life · brachiopods · corals · ice sheets
Extinct marine arthropods
- ammonitesExtinct coiled-shell cephalopods
- petrified woodMineralized tree fossils
- paleontologyStudy of ancient organisms
- paleobotanyStudy of ancient flora
Study of crustal deformation
- subductionPlate descending beneath another
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
- lithosphereCrust plus upper mantle
- orogenyGeological mountain formation
fault lines · Deccan Traps · kimberlite · rift valleys · mineral deposits
Pangaea
Prehistoric unified landmass
- continental driftGradual landmass repositioning
- plate tectonicsEarth's crust mobility theory
- breakupRomantic relationship's termination
rifting · Gondwanaland · landmass · fragmentation · coalescence · assembly · dispersal · reconstruction · paleogeography · craton
Triassic
First Mesozoic period
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- dinosaursExtinct prehistoric reptiles
theropods · sauropods · pterosaurs · conifers · cycads · gymnosperms · titanosaurs · marsupials · monotremes
Africa
Second-largest continent
- South AmericaWestern Hemisphere's southern continent
- AntarcticaSouthernmost continental landmass
- AustraliaSouthern Hemisphere continent-country
India · Madagascar · New Zealand · Arabian Peninsula · Falkland Islands · Sri Lanka · Patagonia · Zealandia · Seychelles · southern hemisphere
Cambrian
Earliest Paleozoic period
- OrdovicianPaleozoic geological period
- SilurianPaleozoic period, mid-range
- DevonianGeologic period, 419-359 million years ago
Carboniferous · Permian · glaciation · marine life · brachiopods · corals · ice sheets
trilobites
Extinct marine arthropods
- ammonitesExtinct coiled-shell cephalopods
- petrified woodMineralized tree fossils
- paleontologyStudy of ancient organisms
paleobotany · biogeography · endemic species · flora · fauna
tectonics
Study of crustal deformation
- subductionPlate descending beneath another
- volcanismSubterranean magma expulsion process
- lithosphereCrust plus upper mantle
orogeny · fault lines · Deccan Traps · kimberlite · rift valleys · mineral deposits
- Mesozoicdinosaurs, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, Spinosaurus, pterosaurs
- Earth historyice age, geological time, extinction, eons, fossil
- geologic historyCambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous
- plate tectonicstectonic plates, plate tectonics, plate boundaries, subduction, subduction zones
- African Safarissafaris, Kruger National Park, game drives, Serengeti, wildlife viewing
- Ancient EarthPangaea, Tethys Sea, supercontinent, primordial sea, continental drift