Pangaea

Pangaea was a large supercontinent that formed more than 300 million years ago and lasted into the early part of the Mesozoic Era. A supercontinent is a landmass made of almost all of Earth's continents joined together. Pangaea included the land that would later become Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica. It began to break apart about 200 million years ago, leading to the continents we see on Earth today.

During the time of Pangaea, Earth’s continents were joined in a single, connected shape. This landmass stretched from the northern to the southern parts of the planet. Because of its size, climates across Pangaea were very different depending on location. Some areas were dry deserts, while others had forests or coastal environments. The interior of the supercontinent was especially dry because it was far from the ocean, which made it harder for moisture to reach inland.

Life during the time of Pangaea included many types of plants and animals. Early reptiles, insects, and amphibians lived on land, and large forests grew in regions with enough water. Later, during the early Mesozoic Era, dinosaurs and early mammals began to appear. Because there were no large ocean barriers separating land areas, animals could move more freely across the supercontinent. Fossils of the same species found on different modern continents provide evidence that these lands were once connected.

The formation and breakup of Pangaea were caused by movements of Earth’s tectonic plates. These plates are large pieces of Earth’s crust that slowly move over time. When Pangaea existed, the plates had drifted together to form one landmass. Over millions of years, the plates changed direction and began to separate. Cracks formed between land areas, and new oceans started to grow between them. This long process eventually created two large landmasses called Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south.

As Pangaea broke apart, ocean basins such as the Atlantic Ocean began to open. These changes led to shifts in climate, sea levels, and habitats. The oceans helped separate animal and plant groups, allowing them to evolve in different ways on different continents. By the end of the Mesozoic Era, the continents had taken shapes closer to their modern positions.

Today, scientists study Pangaea to understand how continents move and how ancient environments changed over time. Rock layers, fossils, and coastlines that match across different continents give clues about how the supercontinent formed and broke apart. Understanding Pangaea also helps explain why different continents share similar fossils and geological features.