Describe the supercontinents __________ and _____________.
There are several supercontinents in Earth's history, but the two most well-known and extensively studied are Pangaea and Gondwana.
1. Pangaea: Pangaea was a supercontinent that existed during the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic eras, approximately 335 to 175 million years ago. It was the most recent supercontinent and was characterized by one large landmass encompassing almost all of Earth's present-day continents. The name "Pangaea" means "all lands" in Greek, reflecting the fact that most of the Earth's landmass was consolidated into one connected mass. Pangaea's formation was a result of the process of continental drift, with the various continents gradually moving towards each other and eventually colliding. This collision created mountain ranges, such as the Appalachian Mountains in North America and the Ural Mountains in Europe. Over time, Pangaea began to break apart, forming the modern continents we know today.
2. Gondwana: Gondwana was another significant supercontinent that existed from the Late Neoproterozoic era to the Late Cretaceous period, around 650 to 90 million years ago. It was named after the Gondwana region of central India. Gondwana consisted of most of the present-day southern hemisphere continents, including South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, and Arabia. Unlike Pangaea, Gondwana was not a single landmass but a fusion of several smaller continents. This supercontinent played a crucial role in the evolution of life, as it housed diverse and iconic species like dinosaurs and early mammals. Similar to Pangaea, Gondwana eventually began to fragment, leading to the formation of the separate continents we see today.